Chicago-Based Turkish Designer Eli Bensusan brings Form and Function to Neferka Jewelry Line

    CHICAGO, IL, June 02, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- While studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Eli Bensusan's work gained tremendous support from faculty and designers alike. He took his work outside of the classroom and has created his own jewelry line, Neferka. He is selling his jewelry online at www.neferka.design prices range from $50-$1225. He also does custom work in gold.

""Neferka" is a combination of two ancient Egyptian words, "Nefer" meaning beautiful, and "Ka" meaning life force," Bensusan explains. His inspiration from ancient cultures is not only in name. "Much of my work is inspired by the ancient Egyptians, Italians and Greeks" he says.

Bensusan has always been interested in how dualities, such as modernity vs. tradition and illusion vs. reality intersect. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, where he studied industrial design, he notes that "Istanbul is interesting because it's where east meets west." This duality is the perfect embodiment of his design aesthetic and process. He uses modern design techniques to create objects that reflect ancient scientific, philosophical and spiritual concepts from various cultures, but relies on traditional craftsmanship in Turkey to create the final product.

Bensusan sketches his designs in Chicago and models them on 3D software. After he has printed them on a 3D printer, the designs are sent to his goldsmith, Aret Colakyan, and his finisher, Nuran 'Boncuk' Karagoz, who both began apprenticing in the Grand Bazaar of Turkey at the ages of 12 and 13 respectively. Craftsmen in the Grand Bazaar are renowned for their skills and designs, and both men are well-known for their work within the area.

During his time at SAIC, Bensusan's thesis focused on designing objects that create a sense of presence in one's body, bringing about a state of self-awareness. While his four distinct collections embody a different concept, they all serve as a reminder to live in the present.

The Solaria collection features a set of jewelry that is meticulously designed so that each piece functions as a sundial while maintaining a minimalist, polished design. Each piece comes with instructions on how it can be used.

The Fibonacci collection combines mathematics with art. It reflects how science can create an elegant aesthetic, as the numbers of the Fibonacci sequence determine the shape of each piece, and the angles within it reflect geometry's golden ratio.

The Equilibrium collection features a necklace that remains in balance when worn even though the two sides are uneven. This is possible because the spheres on each end are inversely proportional to the length of each side, drawing from concepts from both physics and metaphysics.

The Perspective collection is inspired by renaissance artists who used a device to measure objects in perspective. The necklace creates an illusion of a 3-dimensional landscape through a 2-dimensional grid design, reflecting the theme of illusion vs. reality.

Neferka designs are created in 14K gold, silver, and bronze. Any piece Bensusan creates can be custom ordered in a specific metal.

About Eli Bensusan
Eli Bensusan was born in Istanbul and studied industrial design there for his undergraduate degree. He moved to Chicago to pursue a master of design in designed objects at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was attracted to Chicago's young emerging design scene, and credits the SAIC and its experimental culture for helping him develop his unique way of expressing himself through design. He has now taught design storytelling in the SAIC's Designed Objects department for a year. In addition to his personal line, Bensusan works as a freelance designer for companies around the world.

Bensusan also takes poetry classes and frequently performs at the local jazz club, the Green Mill, on its "Sunday Night Poetry Slam." Poetry has become another lens through which he can view his work. "If there's no poetry in one of my ideas, I won't design it" he says. Like poetry, Bensusan's designs are minimal but striking, and reflect a meaning that relates to a greater idea.

To learn more about Eli Bensusan and his work, email [email protected]
To see his entire portfolio, visit www.elibensusan.com

About Neferka
Neferka designs are available for purchase at http://www.neferka.design/
You can also follow Neferka on Instagram: instagram.com/neferka_design/ and Facebook: facebook.com/neferkadesign
For more information, email [email protected]

# # #