Jean-Francois Fichot: The artisan and his passions

Trisha Sertori ,  Contributor ,  Ubud   |  Thu, 05/15/2008 12:20 PM  |  People

There is a touch of the Romany in jeweler Jean-Francois Fichot. Standing a solid two meters, shock of white hair and beard over shadowed by the open wings of his raven-like eye brows, he is a striking presence.

With gold and crystal amulets at his neck and beads wound about his wrists, it's hard not to imagine the man a leader of Gypsies.

And like the Roma, he is a traveler wandering the back streets of India's precious stones centers in search of the unexpected crystal, emerald or pink coral that will make its way into his jewelry.

Or, you may bump into him rummaging through an antique shop in Cuba or Hong Kong, hunting out bric-a-brac to be reborn, inlaid with precious stones and set on silver and gold footings.

Fichot is part bower bird, part genius in his ability to combine simple elements into art.

A cane fishing bag from Lombok morphs into a silver encrusted treasure under his hands; a hand painted Cuban vase, tweaked with gold, silver and stones becomes an heirloom. This "transcending the ordinary" is Fichot's passion.

Like an alchemist he mixes his materials so they, like the philosopher's stone, become magical and mysterious things of wonder.

Fichot was not always a jeweler; he studied interior design at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Lyon, France, where he was born. But the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper days of the late 1960's edged him out of Europe and into Asia, where he has lived ever since.

"I studied interior design, but jewelry was my passion. I started to learn about stones and then I traveled to India and was caught by the people, the jewelry, the energy of the country," says Fichot of the beginnings of what was to become his life's work.

While knocking about India, Fichot says he heard from travelers about a little island at the foot of Indonesia. Bali was calling.

"I arrived in Bali in 1978 and I knew immediately that I wanted to stay for the rest of my life. Back in those days, there was little to do except watch ceremonies and chat with the local people," says Fichot as he prepares for his next exhibition, which will be held at the Ganesha Gallery of the Four Seasons hotel in Jimbaran next week.

He began designing and creating jewelry, working with local artisans in gold, silver, precious woods and stones. His extraordinary leaps of faith in jewelry design soon set him apart from other jewelers.

Fichot's jewelry is baroque and richly dynamic. There is a Cleopatra and Isis feel to much of his work, an Egyptian essence. Carved pink coral set off with baroque pearls, the coral inlaid with emeralds is just one of his breathtaking pieces.

Other pieces are sun forms in gold and precious stones. His works are jewelry must-haves. That one perfect piece you wear for the rest of your life. And there is only one piece: Fichot's pieces are one-offs that people such as actor Michael Caine or super model Elle McPherson collect.

"My influences are drawn from the ancient world - a fusion of Mesopotamia, India, Egypt and Majapahit. I am very lucky to be working here in Bali because I have a group of very skilled carvers, gold and silversmiths. I design the pieces and they realize the works," says Fichot.

His favorite material is crystal and it is seen in many of his works, such as miniature carved Buddhas inlaid with 22 carat gold. He chooses 22 carat gold for its sun-yellow color.

"Crystal is really beautiful and powerful. It's like petrified water.

"I like all gems, but I like them natural, not to much cutting. And I like the gold pearls of Indonesia. They are really special," says the man who is happy to work in his garden, the other passion in his life, when he is not crafting wonders from metals and stones.

"My garden is like a mini-botanical garden. I mix plants from all over the worldI am the king of mixing plants. Ubud's climate grows most things very well and my garden is my other work of art."

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