I met Katia Rabey at College while studying jewelry design. She was one year my senior, and was about to graduate. I remember being in my second year back then, holding Katia's Graduation project in my hands and being astounded by the multicolored, intricate and highly detailed, and conceptual piece. Ever since I knew that Katia's creations were 'right up my alley', so allow me to introduce you!
Rabey, An Artist, Jewelry Designer, Mother, Advocate, and many more titles I can label, is of Russian heritage and had immigrated to Israel before and after the war broke out. During her time post studies in Russia, Rabey had taken part in organizing Jewelry exhibitions and groups such as the '9 March Project'. I, myself was also invited to take part in these exhibitions which occurred in Moscow, and Saint Peterburg and went on to other Slavic and European states.
The Exhibitions that Rabey took part in aimed to encourage discussions on 'Taboo' or controversies and other sensitive topics back then (2019-2020) and stood out as a beacon of light in the darkness that is Russia and its oppressive regime. The exhibitions talked about Feminism, Gender, Borders, Sexuality, War, Peace- You name it. Many various and intriguing topics were brought on in jewelry form and were curated extraordinarily by Rabey and other Colleagues; Mrs Starikova and Mrs. Pavlovskaya. Rabey and her colleagues looking back now had paved the way for something that was not only unspoken of but also unheard or even denied in Russia in Jewelry form. I can assure you that it was a very tough mission for Mrs. Rabey to get the necessary permissions to conduct such exhibitions and also got her fair share of hate back.
However, Katia Rabey, A Senior at 'Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, did not let the Covid epidemic, nor the War with Ukraine stop her from letting everyone know her thoughts and stances, or even questions and debates on topics. Doing all of this using jewelry as a medium is not an easy task, but Rabey's big to small, colorful works can speak volumes. Rabeys works can be serious, sad, happy, imaginative and fantastic, and humorous- she displays a wide range of emotions in her works as much as color.
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#23 Quarantine Day 3- Steampunk Ring
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Rabey challenged herself to create one ring a day using only the things she could find at home. She made a total of 80 rings without missing a day!
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#25 2019 Mcdonalds Gold Bar Pendant
Katia does conceptual work. For instance, this piece talks about eating disorders and guilty pleasures: the weight of gold in this pendant is equivalent in price to the amount the artist spent in Mcdonald's while stress-eating.
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#32 'slut' Necklace - An Informative Picture For The Obeying The Standards And Norms Of Society
In this piece, Katia recreated a famous work by Rosea Lake “Judgements” but moved it up to the cleavage area. What does a cleavage size (and jewelry style) say about a woman? Wrong answers only!
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The powerful influence of Russian culture resonates deeply in Katia Rabey's jewelry collections, as her work often incorporates themes of humor and satire. This creative approach mirrors the imaginative techniques used by other Russian artists who blend traditional elements with pop culture.
Similarly, the fusion of Soviet and Western cinema inspires a unique artistic vision that's both engaging and thought-provoking.
