L’École Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts is celebrating its fifth anniversary in Hong Kong this year. For the occasion, managing director Olivier Segura reflects on the institution’s achievements
L’École Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts runs courses on savoir-faire, the art history of jewellery and the world of gemstones. With 56,000 visitors, eight exhibitions and more than 80 conversations organised, it is marking five years in Hong Kong, its second permanent location.
For the new year, the campus is unveiling a new exhibition titled Shakudō: from Samurai Ornaments to Jewelry, running until April. Shakudō is an alloy composed of 94 per cent copper and 4 per cent gold, which gives it its red colour, and which is historically used in Japan to make the decorative elements of samurai swords. Featuring 36 jewellery pieces adorned with shakudō elements, the exhibition showcases works from a private collection merging European aesthetics and Japanese techniques.
We sat down with Olivier Segura, the managing director of the campus for the past year. The gemologist spoke about inspiring the next generation of jewellers and the institution’s vision to foster a deeper appreciation for the art of jewellery across Asia and beyond.
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L'École Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts managing director Olivier Segura (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong / @Zed Leets)
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What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work in jewellery arts and education?
For L’École, the most rewarding aspect is when we receive young audiences. In France, a youngster, about 12 years old, attended one of our courses; we offer programmes for children starting at five or six years old, as well as for teenagers and adults. This young lady participated in a class focused on gems for teenagers and, after that, she engaged in various programmes we had for her age group. Eventually, she decided to become a jeweller—this was about eight to ten years ago, and now she is a professional jeweller.
While ... she pursued specific courses at other schools in France, it’s possible that her initial interest was sparked by her experience at L’École. Ultimately, everything we do is for the public. The vast majority of our programmes are free, including exhibitions and [some] talks. We genuinely want to share knowledge. If individuals gain more understanding and discover their passion or find a career through our efforts, we are truly happy for them.
What inspired the choice of shakudō as the exhibition theme?
At L’École, we strive to bring new topics and knowledge to our audience, not just about jewellery but also about the broader context of gemstones. This will be the first exhibition dedicated to shakudō worldwide, to my knowledge, and we are excited to showcase this unique aspect of jewellery arts for the first time.
