Jewellery often brings to mind gold, diamonds and precious gemstones. Today, however, its significance extends well beyond aesthetics: it has become a means of expressing art, design, culture and individual perspectives. Contemporary jewellery, in particular, is an interdisciplinary art form that questions traditional approaches to jewellery-making through unconventional materials, varied techniques and conceptual exploration.
Leyla Taranto is among those who have contributed significantly to the development of this field in Türkiye.
Founded by Taranto, Galeri Santim supports contemporary jewellery, brings together Turkish and international designers, and provides a platform for exchange between art and design. Since its establishment, the gallery has sought to give distinctive designs greater visibility and introduce contemporary jewellery to a wider audience.
Who Is Leyla Taranto?
Leyla Taranto graduated in Sociology from Istanbul University. Her interest in art and design led her to study jewellery-making between 2000 and 2003. She subsequently completed the Design Culture and Management programme, offered jointly by Istanbul Bilgi University and Domus Academy Milano, further developing her academic grounding in design. In 2006, she established her own brand, toz design, and began producing contemporary jewellery.
Taranto’s approach combines traditional jewellery-making techniques with a contemporary artistic perspective. Alongside precious metals, she uses unconventional materials such as foam, rubber and wooden picture frames to reconsider the concept of “value” in jewellery. Each piece is both an aesthetic object and a small-scale artwork that invites thought.
toz design: Material, Form and Concept
Leyla Taranto’s design brand, toz design, offers a different perspective on conventional jewellery. With craftsmanship playing an important role, its collections may develop from an idea, an exploration of a material’s possibilities or experimentation with form.
One of the clearest examples is the Geride Kalanlar (Remains) collection. Taranto transforms picture-frame offcuts left over from production in framing workshops into brooches, necklaces and earrings. Materials once regarded as “waste” acquire renewed value through a creative approach and handwork. This practice supports sustainable design while demonstrating that the value of jewellery can also lie in ideas, labour and meaning.
The Story Behind Galeri Santim
After establishing toz design, Leyla Taranto envisioned a space where contemporary jewellery artists could showcase their work together. This vision led to the opening of a gallery in Maçka, Istanbul, which later evolved into Galeri Santim.
Today, Galeri Santim is recognized as one of Türkiye's leading galleries dedicated to contemporary jewellery. Through curated collections, exhibitions, and international collaborations, the gallery presents contemporary jewellery not merely as an object of adornment but as a cultural and artistic experience.
A common thread in Taranto’s work is its invitation to look beyond familiar aesthetic conventions. Each piece draws attention through its choice of materials and the ideas it conveys.
How Did Galeri Santim Come About?
Alongside her design practice under the name toz design, Leyla Taranto wanted to create a shared platform where her fellow contemporary jewellery designers could also gain visibility. With this aim, she opened a gallery in Maçka, Istanbul, which now operates as Galeri Santim.
Galeri Santim stands out for its wide-ranging selection, bringing together designers from Türkiye and abroad who work with diverse materials and approaches. Through collection presentations, art events and international collaborations, it approaches contemporary jewellery as a field of cultural exchange.
What Distinguishes Galeri Santim?
While many jewellery shops focus on precious stones and traditional styles, Galeri Santim places design at the centre of its selection.
The works presented at the gallery:
Are shaped by aesthetic, formal and conceptual approaches.
Are made through craftsmanship and distinctive production processes.
Are produced outside the conventions of mass production.
Are considered wearable works of art.
This approach makes the gallery more than a place to buy jewellery: it becomes a meeting point where visitors can discover contemporary design.
Why Is Contemporary Jewellery Important?
Contemporary jewellery is much more than decoration. It is a form of artistic expression that reflects the artist's ideas, experiences, and observations about society.
In contemporary jewellery, every element contributes to the narrative:
For this reason, contemporary jewellery is appreciated not only as an accessory but also as an art form.
At Galeri Santim, visitors are invited to discover not only beautifully crafted objects but also the stories and ideas that inspire them.
Bringing Together Turkish and International Designers
One of Galeri Santim’s defining characteristics is its presentation of work by contemporary jewellery artists from different countries to audiences in Türkiye.
Alongside Turkish designers, the gallery features work from countries including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Taiwan. Visitors can therefore explore different cultural perspectives on contemporary jewellery within the same setting.
This international outlook extends Galeri Santim’s reach beyond its local setting and establishes its place within the global contemporary jewellery community.
Why Is Contemporary Jewellery Important?
Contemporary jewellery is not created solely for aesthetic purposes. It is a form of expression that can reflect an artist’s thoughts, the times in which they live and wider social concerns.
The materials, production techniques, form, colour and use of space—even the position of a piece on the body—can all contribute to its narrative.
For this reason, contemporary jewellery is appreciated as an art form as well as an accessory.
Galeri Santim supports this perspective by introducing visitors to the stories behind the work it presents.
Exhibitions and International Visibility
In addition to its ongoing collections, Galeri Santim presents exhibitions and participates in international events. The gallery hosts group exhibitions featuring designers from different countries and seeks to increase the visibility of contemporary jewellery. These activities contribute to the international recognition of contemporary jewellery produced in Türkiye.
Art, Design and Sustainability
Sustainability holds an important place in contemporary design and is also evident in Leyla Taranto’s practice. Incorporating recyclable or repurposed materials into the design process is both an environmental choice and a considered approach that reveals their creative potential.
This understanding is among the values reflected in the contemporary jewellery culture represented by Galeri Santim.
Conclusion
As interest in contemporary jewellery continues to grow in Türkiye, Leyla Taranto remains among those who have helped advance the field. Her design perspective and the gallery she has developed over the years approach jewellery as a meeting point for thought, art and design.
By bringing Turkish and international designers together, Galeri Santim continues to contribute to the development of contemporary jewellery in Türkiye through its distinctive collections, conceptual exhibitions and approach to art.
For those seeking a different perspective on jewellery, Galeri Santim offers a place to explore the connections between design, creativity and artistic expression.
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