In existence for more than 300 million years, dragonflies have been revered by humans for centuries. They are considered a symbol of courage, strength, wisdom, change and transformation, and luck.
Tanel fell in love with dragonflies already in high school, when his beauty idol was the French jewellery designer René Lalique. Dragonfly has a definite place in his art nouveau flowing formal language. Later, while exhibiting in Lisbon, Tanel met the famous Lalique dragonfly in person, in the wonderful Galouste Gulbenkian museum, and dragonflies also found their way into Tanel’s final collection at the Art Academy.
René Lalique "Dragonfly Woman corsage ornament", 1897-98. Courtesy of the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon.
I still haven’t really gotten rid of dragonflies. I have several real dragonflies in the studio, found on the windowsill from my summer home… I can admire the networks of their wings forever. Dragonfly has an essential art nouveau fluidity, which makes it so graceful.” – Tanel Veenre
The starting point for the pendants and brooches of the Libellula series was a real dragonfly, from which the first form was taken and then played with. In this way, a piece of summer has been frozen in the series, which can now always be carried with you. The heroes of this collection are timeless and effective, they will certainly have the same charming effect decades from now. You can’t resist the beauty of nature!
“I added dignity and colour to silver dragonflies with tails made of specially cut stones.” – Tanel Veenre
Photos: Julia Shashkina
We wish everyone magical summer evenings on the banks of some streams or ponds, where these graceful creatures are going about their business! Let’s take the time to absorb this beauty.