Artist Sheila Hicks is presenting a new collection of jewelry, titled "Cosmic Jewelry," at the Venice Biennale, developed with Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery, London. The collection debuted on May 6 at the Monaco & Grand Canal Hotel during the opening of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, alongside works by other artists such as Giorgio Vigna and Michele Oka Doner. Known for her monumental textile-based works, Hicks has translated her signature use of thread and fiber into wearable art, creating brooches and necklaces that incorporate gemstones and minerals, produced with Atelier L & L. The pieces draw from her larger-scale "Boules" and "memory bundles," reflecting a two-year process of rethinking proportion and movement for bodily adornment.
This development matters because it marks a significant new chapter in Hicks's six-decade career, shifting from large-scale installations to intimate, wearable forms while maintaining her core exploration of tactility and material resonance. The jewelry represents a continuity of her practice, as seen in her 2017 Biennale installations and her 2025 exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, but opens an entirely new dimension of her work. By bringing her artistic language into a wearable format, Hicks engages with the discerning audience of the Venice Biennale in a unique way, highlighting how contemporary art can transcend traditional boundaries between sculpture and adornment.