Rosa Taikon

In these three pieces of Rosa Taikon’s jewellery, taken from varying points along her long artistic career, we can see both her curiosity and bold design. Through her works, Taikon did not only renew modern art jewellery, but also the Roma smithing tradition, making her unique in Sweden as well as internationally.

Taikon was an exceptionally skilled crafter who with precision applied techniques which were demanding in both time and patience. She made her jewellery by continuously and persistently challenging motifs and techniques, partly found in her family’s smithing tradition that she had seen practiced by her father Johan Taikon, an able gold- and silversmith. Taikon expanded a tradition through her works by relating it to contemporary art jewellery. In her jewellery, we find a confident sense of form combined with the ability to distill different references into a refined whole. Rosa Taikon also used her practice as a platform in her tireless fight for Roma rights.

Rosa Taikon was a jewellery artist based in Flor near Ytterhogdal in the Swedish province of Hälsingland. Her work spanned more than five decades. In 2017 she passed away at the age of 90, as one of the most significant human rights advocates in Sweden. A major part of her archive was donated to the Hälsinglands Museum, where a permanent exhibition of Taikon’s artistic and political deeds is set up.