Legendary jeweler Alex Šepkus – his creations have become an exclusive brand, appreciated both in America and Japan | Culture

These days, a collection of works by the artist who died three years ago arrived in Vilnius. In the exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of A. Šepkus “Alex Šepkus New York: the work of the legendary jeweler up close” you can see more than 250 of his exclusive gold and platinum items.

According to Viktorijas Orkinės, the founder of the gallery “v2o hauteji juvelyrika”, which organizes the exhibition, just looking at A. Šepkaus’ huge creative legacy and its diversity, one can understand that he is a world-class artist who made Lithuania famous all over the world with his phenomenal talent.

Those who want to get acquainted with the work of Alex Šepkaus are welcome on April 11-14, 11:00-19:00, at the “v2o high jewelry” gallery, at the address Aukštaičių st. 12, Vilnius.

Jewelry exhibition by Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS photo/Alex Šepkus

How a legend was born

Aleksandras Šepkus was born in 1954. March 24 in Kaunas. The jeweler himself did not particularly like to talk about his life – he was a rather ascetic person who concentrated on creativity. His father was an architect, it is likely that this was the reason why A. Šepkus chose to study at the then Vilnius Art Institute (now the Academy of Arts) at the Department of Industrial Art after school.

These studies had nothing to do with jewelry, which came into the artist’s life quite by accident at that time. The jeweler Kazimieras Simanonis, who became his first teacher, also contributed to this. “When I made my first piece of jewelry with him, he told me that I was a defective jeweler. That’s how it all started,” A. Šepkus said. In the long run, it is the creation of jewelry that will become his life’s passion, hobby, work and art.

Jewelry exhibition by Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS photo/Alex Šepkus

When A. Šepkus had to do and later defend his diploma thesis, he decided to break the rules that had been in force until then – to create not dishes or other objects, but jewelry. “At that time, I was also scolded by the teachers of the Academy of Fine Arts for spoiling the students. They were indignant that it was one of them who planned to create this or that – jewelry,” said K. Simanonis, the first teacher of A. Šepkaus.

Photo of the organizers/work of Alex Šepkaus

After completing his studies, the jeweler lived and worked in Lithuania for ten years. However, in 1988 he went to USA. After staying in New York, he got a job in a Polish jewelry company, in whose workshop various jewelry items were repaired and adjusted, including the famous Bulgari and Tiffany brands.

Photo of the organizers/Jeffrey Feero and Alex Šepkus in New York, around 1992.

Then word began to spread on New York’s 5th Avenue, where the workshop was located, about a man who “could fix anything.” Jewellers, businessmen and other curious people who were interested in this gravitated towards small workshops, where A. Šepkus improved his skills and created together with other colleagues.

Photo of the organizers/work of Alex Šepkaus

Among those curious was Jeffrey Feero, who worked in another jewelry store nearby, who saw the works of a talented creator from Lithuania and urged him to establish a new jewelry company together. In this way, two personalities who are different in their character and work experience, but complement each other, founded the company “Alex Šepkus Co” at the end of 1991 thanks to the support of friends, which eventually became an exclusive and luxurious brand, whose works are currently exhibited and sold in 150 art galleries around the world. countries, from America to Japan, from Puerto Rico to Lithuania.

Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS photo/Viktorija Orkinė

A thousand unique and recognizable works

According to the founder of the gallery “v2o high jewelry” Viktorija Orkina, who organized the exhibition “Alex Šepkus New York: close-up creations of the legendary jeweler” dedicated to the artist’s 70th birthday, she saw the artist’s works for the first time in Vilnius more than a decade ago.

“These works immediately captivated me with their precision, high level of technical performance and extraordinary beauty. I realized that it is enough to see the works of A. Šepkaus once, and that drawing and style will no longer be confused with anything else. Its authenticity and exclusivity immediately catches the eye and leaves no one indifferent,” said V. Orkinė.

During the three decades of his work, A. Šepkus created about a thousand work models, and all of them became his business card and a clear sign of identification.

The artist himself has said that all his works are intuitive, and the design is thoughtless. “I just do what I can do and what I know how to do. In Lithuania, I started creating on literary themes, I made jewelry with inscriptions and images, but now everything is abstract, and the most important thing I strive for is to be beautiful”, said the jeweler himself a few years before his death.

Photo of the organizers/work of Alex Šepkaus

Art critics still appreciate the works of A. Šepkaus not only for their meticulous technical performance, down to the smallest detail (which is why his works are extremely difficult to forge and forge, although there have been attempts), but also for their high artistic level.

In his works, art connoisseurs see signs of many different periods and cultures – Byzantine, medieval, Mayan, as well as various motifs of nature and literature, geometry, architecture and art.

However, A. Šepkus himself, when asked what inspires him to create, has claimed that he works naturally. “It has never happened that I read or see something and decide to do something like that. Or that after that I become full of inspiration and rush to work. No. I just work completely naturally: when I have the urge or when I need to, I sit down at the table and do it,” the jeweler admitted.

Photo of the organizers/work of Alex Šepkaus

According to V. Orkinė, A. Šepkaus’ works are also unique in that he creates an organic whole from tiny details, such as a mosaic, which becomes a distinctive feature of his work. The textures of his works are also striking – even with the help of a microscope, according to V. Orkinė, it is impossible to find a single flaw.

Photo of the organizers/work of Alex Šepkaus

The artist created various items – earrings, rings, bracelets, pendants – more than 250 of them can be seen at the exhibition in Vilnius. The main material of his work is pink and yellow 750 gold and platinum.

A. Šepkus himself has stated that he always tried to work honestly and carefully, and when he saw the final result, he was often surprised himself – “it was me who did it, it turned out to be quite a good job”.

Photo of the organizers/work of Alex Šepkaus

The jeweler died in 2021. September 6 in New York after a serious illness. His long-time business partner J. Feero and his relatives continue the work that A. Šepkus started more than three decades ago in New York.