The Artist’s profile
Michal Oren was born in Haifa, Israel, and currently lives and works in Tel Aviv.
After earning her BFA in Jewelry and Object Design from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in 1999, she pursued an MA in Art History, specializing in post-minimalist art. Since 2006, Oren has operated her own studio, exhibited in numerous group exhibitions worldwide, and received the Israeli Ministry of Culture’s Design Award. Alongside her studio practice, she now teaches art in high school.
Her work is characterized by light-weight jewelry pieces, where she creates volumes and movement with fine lines. Oren’s silver, gold, and brass pieces act like faint traces of drawn lines, while also holding a strong presence shaped by the space they capture.
Oren was a member of the Inyanim Group (established by Deganit Stern Schocken). She has published several articles on contemporary jewelry and, together with Einat Leader, edited the first two issues of Litushim, the magazine of the Israeli Metalsmith and Jewelry Association.
Photo by Roni Cnaani.
The triggers to become an artist
Similar to language, in the process of creating jewelry, abstract ideas are transformed into structures. Yet unlike language, these structures occupy physical space, becoming a tangible presence in the world. Each shape exists as a distinct entity, a new building block in the evolving “language” of jewelry, one that can be seen, touched, and felt in its weight, and into which emotion and imagination can be projected.
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to art. I came to jewelry by chance, but stayed because of the small-scale dimensions and the inevitable affinity to the body. Creating, for me, is a space where chaos and turmoil are gently arranged into order, and precision shapes quiet. Jewelry making is a delicate act of deconstruction: tiny scattered fragments come together to form a whole.
Environmental Concerns
My approach to precision and minimalism reflects a deep respect for the material I work with. Every line is created with thoughtful consideration and careful planning, so there is almost no waste. I collect the leftovers for reuse, either by melting, or by using them as they are. In the series I am currently working on, I explore the aesthetics of the leftover to create new pieces of jewelry.
Photo by Roni Cnaani.