De Cosmi
Catherine Servel De Cosmi: The Alchemy of Art and Matter
Catherine Servel De Cosmi is a multifaceted artist, seamlessly blending photography, sculpture, and jewelry design. Her work challenges traditional beauty standards and explores the boundaries of art and wearable design. De Cosmi, her eponymous jewelry brand, offers handcrafted pieces that are both elegant and edgy. Each piece is a unique creation, crafted from precious metals and ethically sourced stones. Based in Arles, France, Catherine continues to push the boundaries of her artistic practice, creating pieces that are both timeless and contemporary. Alongside her husband Matthew Mitchell, a passionate protea collector, she has created a series of images for Blumenhaus, showcasing her jewelry against a backdrop of rare flowers.
Hello Catherine, how are you today? What were you doing before answering our interview?
I’m great, I was just buying more equipment with my husband and partner Matthew, haha!
Could you tell us more about yourself, where are you based?
I am an interdisciplinary artist working in photography, sculpture and jewellery. I’m constantly looking for new ways to express aesthetic and conceptual ideas, and working with varied materials and techniques is an important way for me to explore them.
I lived in New York most of my life and I recently moved to Arles in the south of France with Matthew and our daughter Olympia. Though I still travel frequently, setting my roots here has been grounding and inspiring since it is such a beautiful place, rich in history.
Could you tell us more about your decision to launch De Cosmi when you were living in New York? What drew you to that particular city?
I was always intrigued by jewellery - not only the beauty of jewels, but of precious raw materials, and particularly the physical process of creation. Hand-made jewels, for me, are miniature sculptures, and this idea of hand-sculpting something that can be worn on the body is fascinating. While actively engaged in my photography practice, I had a growing passion to explore volume, metalwork, and jewellery making in depth. One day it just bubbled over. Living in New York, I was able to find a fantastic school and dive right in. I spent a lot of time studying and working on the fundamentals, and then quickly started making pieces. One thing led to another and De Cosmi was born. New York is a great place to start anything. The energy and the resources there are infinite. The city was a pivotal part of my ability to expand into multiple disciplines, and I find that jewellery, sculpture and photography are very complementary, they serve each other.
You mentioned that your design process is influenced by the human form and sculptural juxtapositions. Can you walk us through a typical design process for a new piece of jewelry?
It's a lot of drawings! It’s quite impossible to describe my process in words to be honest, especially since there are many overlaps in what I’m doing. Everything I live is an inspiration or a potential source of ideas. Travels, reading, movies, day dreaming! It’s all part of my process.
What role does the material play in your design process? How do you choose the materials for each piece?
The material is the core of a piece. I try to choose what will be the most beautiful and simple so it's always a delight to look at when the piece is finished. Taking an idea and refining it to its essence is very important to me. Sometimes the essence is simply the material itself, a movement, or even the way the light hits.
Your work seems to blur the lines between jewelry and sculpture. How do you see your role as a jewelry designer?
I want to do something to love and cherish, something new, unique and intriguing. A piece you rarely take off and becomes part of you. For me, whether a sculpture we see in front of us or something wearable, it must be something we crave to touch. It must have a certain weight to it. As a jewellery designer everything I create must not only satisfy my aesthetic and conceptual principles, but it also must be comfortable. And it must be something entirely timeless.
How does your photography and art practice complete your jewelry design?
They are all separate steps of one process to express a singular idea. Drawing, volume and sculpture, metalwork and stone setting, photography - for me, each step must be accomplished for a piece to be complete.
What does a typical day look like for you in your Arles studio?
I typically work from my office in the morning along with Matthew to organise thoughts and plans, and then I go to the atelier afterwards where my focus depends upon which practice I’m engaged in. In terms of jewellery, my day often depends upon where I am in the process of pieces I’m making, since there are many different steps which require quite different mindsets. Sometimes I’m in the design phase, other times I’m deep in the construction or finishing phases, and still other times I’m in the photography phase. It’s vital for me to photograph all pieces I’ve made, not only as a record, but as a final step in the realisation.
What is your favorite part of living in Arles?
The scale and beauty of the town make it simultaneously pleasant and efficient to live and work. Being based somewhere with such a long history, and walking by the Roman Arena every day are not something that can be easily beat.
Are there any particular artists or designers who have had a significant impact on your work?
I find inspiration in so many places, and couldn’t really pinpoint any one artist or idea that has been more impactful for me than anything else.
I do love De Chirico, Rick Owens, Billie Holiday, Napoleone Martinuzzi, and Casey Casey. If I had to find a defining thread I would say it’s purity of idea and disregard of the rules.
How would you describe the De Cosmi customer? Who are you designing for?
I create pieces that naturally speak to me as part of my practice, without necessarily a commercial intention. If I had to find a commonality I’d say my clients tend to be artists, architects, other designers, and generally creative people in search of something more when it comes to jewellery. People who are looking for something unique that they will never want to take off. And ultimately people who love to accumulate my pieces over time.
What is the most rewarding aspect of running your own jewelry business?
Every day is creatively exciting for me, never a dull moment.
What are your goals and dreams for De Cosmi in the next five years?
I’m currently renovating my new atelier in a 17th century hôtel particulier in the historic center of Arles, which will be finished early next year. Developing this kind of space is an important step for me to take as De Cosmi continues to grow. I will have more space for additional equipment and generally for creating, and the quality of light and noble materials are out of this world. For me it provides inspiration and a sense of being grounded. It’s an exciting step forward to help me shape many ideas I have for De Cosmi, new forms, new ways to explore color, new collections altogether…
Since launching De Cosmi I have sold only direct via my atelier and my website decosmi.com, but in the coming months a few select boutiques and galleries will be carrying pieces from De Cosmi. It’s an interesting idea to partner with certain outlets in this way to reach a wider audience.
Five years goes by quickly! I imagine the brand will grow and develop organically as it has done these past years, and I will continue to explore and evolve with new aesthetic and conceptual ideas.
Are there any new collections or collaborations in the works?
There are quite a lot. But my lips are sealed. :)
Learn more about De Cosmi brand - www.decosmi.com @decosmiofficial
& Catherine Servel De Cosmi art - www.catherineservel.com @catherineservel