Combining metalsmithing and hand embroidery, the Cairo-based artist’s work takes inspiration from the jewellery native to her homeland and the paintings of the impressionists
- Who is it? Fatma Mostafa is a Cairo-based artist and jewellery designer
- Why do I want it? Custom-made jewellery that evokes scenic impressionist landscapes and Egyptian mountains through embroidery and metalsmithing
- Where can I find it? Fatma Mostafa is available through the label’s website and at MatchesFashion
Who is it? Having grown up in Egypt, Fatma Mostafa has always been drawn to the distinct histories of jewellery native to her homeland. Joining us over Zoom fresh off a trip to London, where the designer and artist was honoured by Fashion Trust Arabia and MatchesFashion for her exceptional talent, Mostafa spoke fondly of the pharaonic antiquities, sacred amulet pendants and silver jewellery of the Bahariya oasis that she saw in glass displays or adorned on women across the region. Yet, it wasn’t the intricacy of these age-old designs that foregrounds the ethos of her eponymous jewellery label but rather the sentimental value that accompanied ornamentation. “I am deeply inspired by the way we think about jewellery in my culture,” Mostafa explains while referencing the custom of adorning your ankles in Felahiye. “From the time of the great civilisations to now, it has always meant more than just beautiful objects or precious gems; jewellery is sacred to us.”
Mostafa’s unique visual sensibilities were teased out through years of experimentation and a background in fine art, where she would flirt with different mediums to create work that went beyond the traditions of painting. “I love to practice art through different materials and methods,” she says. “Even when I make jewellery, it does not feel like a commercial project where I’m worried about whether it will sell but a way I express myself.” The artist, who intimated her deep love and admiration for landscape and impressionism, landed on embroidery as her medium of choice during her final graduation project. It was here that Mostafa first combined the craft with oil paints to evoke the broken brush strokes and effects of light at the centre of the impressionist movement.
“While I enjoyed making large oil paintings and watercolours, I realised that I felt more comfortable working on smaller pieces of art; that’s when I started experimenting with jewellery making for the first time,” she says of creating her label in 2017. Now, her gold-plated pieces that enshrine landscapes and works of art through embroidery are revered by the likes of Bella Hadid, who was seen wearing Mostafa’s one-of-a-kind Palestine pin during her time in Qatar. “The Palestine pin is incredibly special to me. I made it after hearing the news of the violence in Sheikh Jarrah and felt helpless about how I could help the community. I turned to jewellery and art during this time, as I believe that’s where my power lies.”
Why do I want it? Each piece of jewellery is custom-made and crafted by the designer in a process that is as laborious as it is rewarding. “It takes me about two to six days to make each piece depending on their size,” reveals Mostafa. “I begin by sketching out the design for the embroidery, after which I work simultaneously on metalsmithing and hand embroidery. Sometimes, I craft the metal first so that I can gauge the size and shape of the piece, but that never takes up too much of my time; it’s the intricate embroidery that I spend hours working on.”
Luckily for Mostafa – whose mastery of needlepoint was passed down by her mother through years of lessons – embroidery has always been a meditative act, allowing her to find pleasure in the precision and care she lends to each individual piece. Take, for instance, the rings, necklaces and earrings from her Monet-inspired Water Lily collection, where Mostafa meticulously recreates fragments from Monet’s series of paintings into miniature embroidered works which are then embedded with delicate pearls and encased in her bespoke 24kt gold-plated creations. Similarly, ‘Over the Mountain’ encapsulates the Egyptian landscapes that the artist would frequent in her travels across the country.
In her upcoming collection, Mostafa is keen to make the move towards abstraction, expressing how inspiration struck at a local grocery shop in Cairo. “It’s important for me not to get too comfortable working in a specific niche. Working with abstract art will be challenging but ultimately fulfilling to my journey as a jeweller and an artist.” For her, each piece she crafts not only echoes the aesthetic elements of fine art but is a work of art in and of itself, allowing her to experiment and push beyond the bounds of traditional jewellery making.
Where can I find it? Fatma Mostafa Jewelry is available through the label’s website and at MatchesFashion.