Yasmin Zehavi (Israel) is a contemporary jewelry designer whose practice bridges endangered silversmithing traditions, memory in colonial and postcolonial contexts, and ecological sustainability. Her work originates in an exploration of her family’s goldsmithing heritage in Algeria, a history fragmented by the absence of personal records. Through this inquiry, Zehavi came to understand jewelry as “man-made fossils,” as objects that carry intimate human histories across generations.
Inspired by prehistoric adornments and shells once deeply connected to their wearers, Zehavi reimagines ancestral forms within a contemporary framework. She combines traditional techniques such as soldering and cutting with an innovative silversmithing method of her own invention. Sustainability is central to her practice: she eliminates material waste by using entire silver sheets and works exclusively with pure silver for its durability and longevity.
Zehavi’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at SCHMUCKmünchen, the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
