The Victoria & Albert Museum Appoints Emefa Cole As First Curator Of Diaspora Jewelry

The world’s leading museum of art and design, the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London, has named Ghanaian-born jeweler Emefa Cole as its inaugural curator for diaspora jewelry. Supported by British jeweler Elizabeth Gage, the appointment comes after the V&A acquired the designer-maker’s Vulcan ring, above, in 2020.

Emefa describes herself as “thrilled” by the appointment: “I have always loved the museum and visited frequently, finding inspiration from the collection. When I saw the position advertised it sounded like such an exciting opportunity that I had to apply”. She is now preparing to work alongside the prominent curator Clare Phillips, who discovered her work at a London craft fair in 2019 and went on to handle the acquisition of her oxidized silver and gold leaf Vulcan ring the following year, for the museum’s William and Judith Bollinger Gallery.

The nomination represents a further step in the V&A’s efforts to work towards wider representation in its collections, and question the colonial history of an art and design museum established in 1852, during the reign of Queen Victoria. “Emefa’s appointment represents a huge advancement for us in our constant interrogation of the collections, to ensure that they retain relevance for our diverse audiences, while adhering to the standards of excellence for which the museum is justly famous”, says James Robinson, Keeper of Decorative Art and Sculpture at the V&A. “I’m tremendously excited about the possibilities Emefa will bring to the museum.”

And those possibilities are huge. The museum’s 3,500-piece jewelry collection is one the most comprehensive in the world, charting the history of jewelry as adornment from Ancient times to the present day. Celtic gold sits alongside jewels that belonged to Queen Elizabeth I, and a Papillon ring by Glenn Spiro recently gifted to the museum by Beyoncé. The museum’s polished hallways have long been trodden by generations of art & design students, makers and designers, and its wide-ranging collections draw visitors from around the world. If ever there was an appropriate platform for addressing Britain’s colonial past through its cultural institutions, this is it.

“I can’t wait to explore opportunities to expand the collection”, says Emefa, “the museum has a clear acquisitions procedure which we adhere to, so I’ll be seeking out objects of creative and cultural importance relevant to the wider collection.” The role will see her leading research, documentation, acquisition and interpretation for the V&A’s jewelry collection, with a focus on diaspora, which the museum acknowledges as an area for development. She will also have the chance to contribute to exhibitions and public engagement projects.

In a move away from traditional notions of curators chosen for their expertise, the museum was keen to hire a specialist who understood the making process. A regular in Vogue, Vanity Fair and the luxury press, Emefa is known for her sculptural, statement jewelry which melds an exploration of the processes and textures of the Earth, with elements of personal memory and Ghanaian culture. She is part of a cohort of contemporary Black jewelers that has risen to prominence over the past two years, through more inclusive press coverage and events like the Brilliant & Black selling exhibition at Sotheby’s last year, which is set to come to London later this month

Emefa was born in Ghana in 1979 and moved to London at the age of 12. A childhood interest in jewelry and fascination with local folklore around the gold in the earth, inspired her to study silversmithing and produce her own collections, always with the mythology of the Earth and its bounty firmly front and center. As an experimental jeweler, she blends traditional and modern techniques, layering metals in her own interpretation of transformational Nature.

Her Erosion series honors Earth as “the mother of hidden treasure” with “erosion as her midwife”, with smooth gold cleaved in two to reveal the texture and gemstones within. Elsewhere, the Dzonu series is her own interpretation of the traditional West African beads that convey elements of status and identity, in gemstones and precious metals. In 2021, The Goldsmiths Company acquired her Caldera ring, part of the Vulcan series through which she sought to explore the creation and destruction of volcanoes.

In 2020, she carried out an apprenticeship with the personal goldsmith to the King of the Ashanti people in Ghana, a rare honor for an outsider that allowed her to enrich her skills and learn from a master. “Nana approaches work from a philosophical and contemplative place. This rare opportunity has fanned the flame within and I am eager to delve deeper into Ghanaian culture, especially in relation to the significance of proverbs and the wisdom they contain, and the importance of ensuring that this unique way of creating is preserved, passed on and celebrated.”

It’s exciting to imagine where such a vibrant jewelry artist will go now. “I am especially in awe of the transcendent nature of the objects,” she says. “They are more than adornment; they are golden wisdom, they contain the history of a people, they are culture, they are therefore priceless.” Her own work will no doubt be further nourished by her new role and proximity to the V&A’s collections, as she works to bring others out of the shadows and into the rightful spotlight of one of the most respected design museums in the world.