John Hardy

In 1975, during a round-the-world voyage, Canadian designer John Hardy arrived on the idyllic island of Bali and was soon captivated by a culture in which art and craft seamlessly link the past with the present. Inspired by the exotic splendor of his adopted home and the customs and traditions of day-to-day life, Hardy began working with local artisans to translate his design vision into beautiful handmade jewelry and homewares intricately wrought in silver, gold, semi-precious and precious gems and native black palmwood.

"I wanted to use totally traditional Balinese crafts and re-invent them in a way that's useful, timeless, and paradoxically modern at the same time," says Hardy. In the past, Balinese kings maintained villages of metalsmiths to make everything from ceremonial offering bowls and dance ornaments to jewelry. Most of the artisans Hardy works with are descendants of those royal metalsmiths whose genetic memory of ancient traditions, extraordinary skill and craftsmanship are lavished upon each item, imparting a strength, texture and integrity machines simply cannot emulate.

"Each piece is infused with a human energy, warmth that you can really feel, that you can't get from a machine-produced product. It's like the difference between a beautiful handwoven garment and a machine-woven cloth....each piece has a 'hand'."

From cufflinks to necklaces, Hardy creates contemporary heirlooms imbued with enduring beauty, functionality and comfort.