Ela Bauer

Ela Bauer’s work in contemporary jewelry centers on the expressive potential of materials. Born in Poland and raised in Israel, Bauer brings a cross-cultural sensitivity to her practice, informed by earlier academic studies in Comparative Literature and Indology at the University of Jerusalem. Her shift toward jewelry was formalized through training at a vocational school, followed by studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, where she graduated in 1995.

Now based in the Netherlands, Bauer primarily works with synthetic materials such as silicone and resin. These materials are chosen not only for their plasticity and bold color capabilities but also for their tactile qualities. In Bauer’s hands, they take on ambiguous forms that reference both internal anatomical structures and external bodily contours, translating physical experience into wearable objects.

The featured work exemplifies Bauer’s ongoing interest in form, texture, and abstraction. The green and red layered composition, shaped into a simplified ovoid pendant on a ring-like loop, suggests a distillation of organic matter. Pperhaps even a stylized organ, petal, or cellular structure. Its smooth, uneven surface emphasizes materiality over polish, inviting touch, and close viewing.

Bauer’s pieces reside in both private and public collections, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Grassi Museum in Leipzig, and the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich. Her practice reflects an evolving investigation into how contemporary jewelry can engage sensory perception and reframe how we experience the body and its boundaries.