From November 19, 2026, to March 23, 2027, the DIVA museum, dedicated to jewel art, will feature a new rotating presentation within its permanent exhibition. For its inaugural edition, Belgian jewelry, textile, and fashion designer Anita Evenepoel (°1945) takes center stage.
Anita Evenepoel is recognized as a pioneer of contemporary Belgian jewelry. A self-taught artist, she experimented with materials such as rubber, plastic, neoprene, and technical fabrics, which were rarely associated with jewelry until then. She made the material itself the starting point for her designs, a groundbreaking approach in the 1980s. Her work is considered a significant contribution to the flourishing and development of artistic jewelry production in Belgium.
For Evenepoel, a design begins with the material. She utilized industrial and everyday materials to create distinctive statement pieces, which she describes as 'small sculptures that challenge the body and engage in dialogue with it.' Her experimental approach has earned her several awards, including the Five-Year Career Prize for Design of the Province of Antwerp (1999), the Henry van de Velde Award for Lifetime Achievement (2007), and the Prize of the Flemish Community for Design (2012).
Through the 'In de Kijker' (In the Spotlight) series, the DIVA museum aims to give temporary extra attention to remarkable designers, jewels, and objects. Anita Evenepoel is the first designer to be featured in this series.
