Rafael Alfandary was a recent
emigrant to Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Israel in 1970 when he
enrolled in an English class at George Brown College. As a thank
you gift to his teacher he designed and presented a necklace to
her. The striking design and movement of the necklace soon
created a demand for similar jewellery from other women who were
enamored of the style and originality. Taking up the opportunity
that the life process had laid before him, Rafael set up shop in
his basement and started production on the kinetic designs made
of hammered brass or copper, and bezel set with natural stone or
glass cabochons.
His work is very
recognizable.....The chains on the large necklaces are as elaborate
as the pendants themselves and balance it with an aesthetic
symmetry. He soon discovered Murano glass which provided colours
ranging from brilliant orange hues to the most earthy translucent
purple I have ever seen (as if one can ever describe purple as
"earthy"). He loved melting and combining different colours of the
glass, and as such no two cabochon colours are exactly the
same.....The rippled nature on the reverse side of the glass also
created some amazing reflections seen against the metal backing
through the top of the transparent coloured glass.
Rafael closed his
shops in Canada in 1980 to pursue other business and personal
opportunities but is now back in Toronto, Canada where he and his
wife Eriko are creating clocks and his one of a kind rings.
Taken from
"Abstractions, a Sampler of Modern Canadian Jewellers" by Roberta
Peach, MODERN SILVER magazine, Dec.- January, 2003-2004.
http://www.modernsilver.com/Abstractions.htm
