HOME I ABOUT I TALENTS I CONTACT   II   GALLERY I NOVEL

  Childhood

Harumi Klossowska was born in Geneva, Switzerland. She spent her early years in Italy where the direction of the prestigious Villa Medici was entrusted to her father Balthazar Klossowski de Rola, the internationally renowned painter, known as Balthus, whose talent has been rewarded through this nomination in 1961 by the French Minister of Culture André Malraux.

  Harumi's curiosity for the stones was born in the villa’s gardens of Rome where she spent hours picking up rocks of all shapes and colors, sandstones, and mosaic fragments. With a certain attraction for blues of all shades. She makes collages, drawing compositions of all sorts, and produces assemblings that Balthus takes into account and keeps carefully aside.

  At the age of seven, Harumi accompanies her father and her mother, the Countess Setsuko at the Galerie Claude Bernard in Paris ; he opens for her the door to a room that he has entirely devoted to rough stones and semi-precious stones. It is a shock that Harumi will not forget. Her imagination gets carried away and her love for jewelry was born to what she sees as marvels waiting for her.

  Influence

In the Swiss chalet of Rossinière where the Klossowski family resides, a special place attracts Harumi since her childhood as much as her Roman collection: Antique Chinese fabric buttons entirely handmade that Setsuko keeps in her room. Setsuko is a talented Japanese painter. She has been awarded since 2006 the title of Artist for Peace given by the world renown organization UNESCO.

  Over the years, Harumi’s desire for creation is confirmed. She never ceases to draw sets and fasteners for these stones which fascinate her. At the age of eighteen, when she is chosen by Hanae Mori Paris dressmaker to wear one of her dresses at The Debutantes Bowl in Paris, Harumi meets a young designer to whom she reveals her creative world: John Galliano. Seduced by her enthusiasm, he asks her to work with him at the Press Office in his Fashion House and often invites her in his design studio.

  Her experience with the designer totally convinces Harumi. After the fashion of John Galliano, she will be a designer in a different way, combining shapes, colors and materials in order to reinvent ornaments art. Harumi will choose to create jewelry by mixing Philippine ebony, Chinese trimmings, silk and gold plating with tourmaline, garnets, moonstones and aquamarines. Her creations will serve her imagination given to serve elegance and mystery.

Mineral, stone, wood and fabric, the blending surprises but the result is obvious: It is a resounding success.

  Work

At the age of twenty-five, Harumi creates her first collection of necklaces, bracelets and brooches. With the help of François Curiel, director of Christie's in Geneva, who became the director of the prestigious house for whole Europe, Harumi presents her creations at the Richemond Hotel in Geneva. The event is an overwhelming success. Harumi sells every piece of jewelry.

  A second collection is shown in 1996 at Christie's New York, followed by a third one, again at Christie's in Geneva in 1997. At each presentation, the success is materialized.

The media gets more and more interested in the talented and original young woman in acknowledging her talent in a profession yet widely honored by renowned designers.

  In 2008, for the the 150th anniversary of their House, the renowned Parisian jeweler Boucheron chooses Harumi for the purpose of creating a unique necklace and an arm bracelet. Placed under the sign of the snake, one of the symbolic animals for the brand, the two encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, turquoise scales and contrasting matt gold pieces are imbued with powerful symbols that combine the distinguished designer’s origins together with the particular style of her creative know-how and the Boucheron’s legacy.

The French and the international press salute her exemplary work.

  The particular style of Harumi indeed attracts the public. Her work as well as her personality inspire photographers like  Henri Cartier-Bresson, Mario Testino, Arthur Elgort, Bruce Weber, Karl Lagerfeld... among other prestigious names.

  Many articles have already been devoted to Harumi, both in French magazines such as VOGUE, ELLE, Madame Figaro, VERY ELLE, L’EXPRESS STYLES, PURPLE and international ones like US VOGUE, Italian VOGUE, German VOGUE and Japanese VOGUE, and also STERN in Germany, L’OFFICIEL in Japan, HARPERS AND QUEEN and TATLER in England, all showing her collections and her life throughout her work. The list goes on...

  Recognition

1999

Solo exhibition at Christie's - Los Angeles

Solo exhibition in Bond 07 - New York

2000

Solo exhibition at Christopher Walling - Aspen

Solo exhibition at Selima Optique - Los Angeles

2001

Solo exhibition at Fred Leighton - Las Vegas

Solo exhibition at The United Nations Building - Geneva

Solo exhibition at Paul Lombard - Venice

2002

Group exhibition Creativita Riflessa - Viterbo (Italy)

Exhibition of Harumi Klossowska’s creations and Donata Wenders photographies - Tokyo

2003

Solo exhibition at RSA (Ridley Scott and Associates) - Los Angeles

2004

- First collaboration with fashion designer Catherine Malandrino for the Spring / Summer 2005 Collection.

- New collaboration with fashion designer Catherine Malandrino for the Fall-Winter 2005 Collection.

- Opening of Harumi Klossowska’s Corner at Isetan in Japan.

- Opening of Harumi Klossowska‘s shop in Roppongi - Japan.

- Gianbattista Valli, fashion designer for the House of Emmanuel Ungaro uses earrings designed by Harumi for their Fall-Winter 2005 Fashion show.

2005

Solo exhibition at the Grand Chalet - Rossinière

2006

Solo exhibition at Bond 07 in New York

2007

Solo Exhibition in Milan.

2008

Exhibition at Boucheron in Place Vendôme - Paris of two exceptional creations for the House.

2010

Artistic contribution for Swarovski international Autumn-Winter 2010/2011  collection “under the blue”.

2010-2011

Exhibition at Colette Paris, 213 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré for the Contemporary Cabinet of Curiosities by Thomas Erber.

2012-2013

Exhibition and sales of unique high jewelry pieces and original drawings at the Pierre Passebon Gallery, Paris 1st district, together with designer-shoemaker Christian Louboutin.

Nomination for the 2012 Luxury and Creation Talents Contest in the Originality’s Talent category.

Creation of four unique pieces for the house of CHOPARD on the occasion of 2012 and 2013 Venise and Cannes Films Festivals.

To date, Harumi’s collections were made and sold on three continents.

All Harumi’s pieces are unique.

  Inspiration

If Harumi is an accomplished artist, she also is the zealous ambassador of her father’s work all over the world. She already has represented the artist Balthus in many countries where official ceremonies were dedicated to him ; in this way she was only twenty two when she was able to otganize the 1996  Balthus exhibition at Palazzo Mignanelli in Rome. The presentation was an immediate success.

  Harumi intimately knows the quality of her father’s work, but also assesses its depth as well as its meaning. Accustomed since childhood to the strange and the wonderful, she has met with outstanding artists who have enriched and fullfilled her education forever in refining her mind and spirit inclined to spirituality ; music with Herbert Von Karajan, Yeudi Menuhin or Bono, cinema with Federico Fellini, Ridley Scott, Wim Wenders as well as Philippe Noiret, or Richard Gere. These major arts, praised by deeply inhabited people, permanently have influenced and inspired Harumi’s work.

  Harumi definitely is a young woman of our time, looking for the absolute and who does not conform to sacrifice her quest. Avid reader of Russian authors and passionate for film, her inclination to Oblomov, Kurosawa, or Milarepa  as well as Tibetan spirituality, takes her on every path of creativity.

For each of her collections, Harumi invents a story: To please the Count Vronsky and be loved by him, Anna Karenina adorns herself and Harumi designs for her refined jewelry of entrancing beauty. To seduce the painter Delacroix  while traveling in Morocco, Harumi invents for him an unexpected muse, a young elegant and mysterious girl who is wearing her creations.

  To date, Harumi has drawn almost a thousand jewelry sketches which have become hundreds of necklaces, brooches and bracelets, all sold to a female clientele with exclusive taste, ranging from famous singers to famous actresses, and from natural girl to the elegant woman, all original, chic and resolutely modern.

  Contracts

Seduced by her rich and diverse creativity, prestigious French jewelry House BOUCHERON entrusts Harumi in 2008 for the purpose of designing two prestigious pieces of jewelry: a necklace and an armlet. The two pieces, called Vesper and Kundalini are sold on the day of their presentation.

  In 2009, equally seduced par her refinement and talent, internationally renown company SWAROWSKI hires Harumi to draw and create several collections of crystal jewels and emblems, all sold worldwide with great success in 2010 and 2011.

  In 2011 it is prestigious House of MONTBLANC‘s turn to entrust Harumi with a whole high jewelry collection collection.

  In 2012 and 2013 the renowned Swiss House of CHOPARD entruts Harumi with the creation of four unique pieces of high jewelry for the 2012 Venise Festival and the 2013 Cannes Festival.

The House of Chopard entrusts Harumi again with the creation of a new collection which will be presented at the March 2014 Basel World (Switzerland).

  In 2014 the Hong Kong high jewelry House of Larry Jewelry International Company Limited (LJL), whose diamonds quality and know-how’s reputation are equally renowned in Europe, Asia, United States and Canada, entruts Harumi for the creation of an exclusive collection.

  In 2015, the collaboration with CHOPARD goes on, for a new collection.

.

  The website

Drawings, photos and more details about Harumi Klossowska de Rola by visiting: harumiklossowska.com