About Designer
Jeweller and sculptor Aida Bergsen creates jewellery with meaningful narratives that trace back to her hometown and its diverse cultural landscape; be it reminiscing about her idyllic childhood in Nicosia, Cyprus, or delving into the riches of Istanbul where she now lives. Drawing inspiration mainly from mythological tales and natural symbolism, each of her wearable sculptures is meticulously hand-carved in wax, then transformed into a timeless jewel using traditional goldsmithing techniques.
Having studied Administration Economique et Sociale (AES) for two years at Grenoble’s Stendhal University, albeit graduating with a diploma in teaching French as a foreign language, Aida Bergsen ended up heeding her artistic vocation and following in the footsteps of her beloved late father, Fikri Direkoglu.
“The conversation I had with my father when I told him about my decision is very vivid in my memory. He was a fine artist who studied at Goldsmiths, University of London and École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, and he always encouraged me in my work. I will never forget the light in his eyes and his excitement as he would look at my work.”
Aida Bergsen first encountered the art of sculpture in 1990 at the studio of Irfan Korkmazlar, later pursuing her studies in figurative sculpture at the studio of Ümit Öztürk. She soon realized that her interests veered towards revealing and highlighting detail, which inevitably led her into the world of fine jewellery. Bergsen furthered her knowledge by attending several short courses at Central Saint Martins in London, as well as multiple jewellery-making and metalsmithing apprenticeships at the famous Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. She later honed her skills at the jewellery studio of Mehmet Kabas, one of the founders of Urart, perfecting the art of lost wax carving. A “communion of dreams” is how she describes the meeting of jewellery design and sculpture, with us, humans, at the juncture of the two. The result is the concept of “wearable sculptures”.
First runner-up for the “Étoile de Mode” award at BIJORHCA in Paris in early 2000s, finalist in the Best Jewellery Designer Award category at the ELLE STYLE AWARDS (2013), first runner-up three times at the prestigious COUTURE SHOW LAS VEGAS (respectively in 2011, 2014 and 2017), and recipient in the Silver Category of the INDESIGN AWARDS in both 2016 and 2017.
In addition, her limited-edition Convolvulus Sepium Fauna brooch was selected by Christie’s Auction Paris for inclusion in the book Women Jewellery Designers by Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld (ACC Art Books, 2017). Bergsen was also featured in Fine Jewelry Couture: Contemporary Heirlooms by Olivier Dupon (Thames & Hudson, 2016), which includes the work of the most exciting jewellery designers working across the globe today.