The late dealer / collector Yves Gastou (he passed away in 2020) was known for his educated eye, eclectic tastes, and an ability to discover lost gems and new talents in art, design, jewellery and exquisite taste generally. From an early age Gastou had been fascinated by 18th-century antiques but he also acquired specialities in Art Nouveau and Art Deco, Venetian glass, and most recently 20th century designer furniture – especially Ettore Sottsass and Italian design of the 70s generally. But he never confined himself to a particular period: as one commentator noted, “he was too curious, and saw beauty in objects that others dismissed”.
Beyond his work as a gallerist and the position as a design-world tastemaker, though, Gastou’s most defining idiosyncrasy was an insatiable fascination with men’s rings. He amassed a highly eclectic collection of better than a thousand, ranging from rings worn by ancient Egyptians to those sported by members of the Hells Angels.
This exhibition features more than 700 of the best examples from Gastou’s collection. These rings range across myriad functions, from wedding oaths to mystical amulets via statements of membership and confirmation of identity to a simple (or complex) willingness to delight the eye.
The exhibition is organised into five themes to allow an immersive exploration of the collector’s personal taste: History, Gothic, Christian Mysticism, Vanitas and Eclecticism. Each tells a story, reflecting the collector’s unique personality but also echoing the original wearer’s own emotions, ambitions and memories – there’s a powerful connection between the object and its owner in these pieces.
The exhibition had a very successful debut in Paris in 2018, then travelled on to Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2022 and Shanghai in 2023. New rings have been added to the selection for its fifth iteration in Dubai, where it opens to coincide with the 10th edition of Dubai Design Week. It runs Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm, to 26 April.
L’ÉCOLE Middle East is holding a Public Open Day on Saturday 9 November, with course demonstrations, kids workshops, guided tours and other activities.
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