Cicadas Swarm on Sienna Patti Gallery in Lenox, Mass.

By Amy Elliott | May 25, 2021

Not these cicadas—not so far anyway. This is a different kind of buzz, and it has to do with a new collection by Swedish jewelry artist Märta Mattsson landing at Sienna Patti tomorrow.

From Christopher Thompson Royds to Lola Brooks, the contemporary jewelry and art gallery in the heart of the Berkshires has been filling our cups with compelling exhibition news of late. Mattsson’s “The sound of cicadas fell like showers around me” is not a formal show, but it does mark the artist’s latest collection debut, which is on view and for sale at Sienna Patti, her exclusive U.S. representative.

And, um, did we mention the jewelry features actual cicada wings?

“A certain breed of cicadas that live 17 years underground as nymphs are emerging and poking their little heads through the soil [right now],” Mattsson says of the collection. “Billions of them arise to live aboveground and reproduce for a week, only to then all fade away, leaving their shells and beautiful wings behind. In this collection I have been inspired by the metamorphosis of the cicadas, transforming their remains into eternal jewels that will live on to become family heirlooms.”

Marta Mattson cicada dandelion earrings — *Dandelion earrings in gold with cicada wings, resin, lacquer, paint, and garnet, $600*

Marta Mattson Night and Day cicada brooch — *Night and Day cicada brooch in silver with cicada wings, resin, lacquer, paint, and garnet, $780*

The cicada wings are sourced through a single supplier that is connected to and works according to the trade rules set forth by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The whimsy of this collection of brooches and earrings falls in line with Mattsson’s aesthetic. According to her bio on the Sienna Patti website, she draws inspiration from her childhood experiences of playing with stuffed animals and slugs, and translates her bizarre fantasies into jewels that invite people to marvel at their oddity.

Marta Mattsson cicada earrings — *Sunset cicada posts in gold with cicada wings, resin, lacquer, paint, and garnet, $910*

Marta Mattsson cicada brooches — *From left: Black & White cicada brooch in silver with cicada wings, resin, lacquer, and paint, $780; Blush cicada brooch in silver with cicada wings, resin, lacquer, and paint, $1,040*

Since 2006, Mattsson has exhibited her work on an international scale in over 20 solo exhibitions and in many group exhibitions. She received a master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in London and has been an exchange student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Hawaii Pacific University, and Hiko Mizuno College of Jewellery in Tokyo, where, according to the Sienna Patti site, her fellow students described her work as “KimoKawaii,” which is a combination of two words—kawaii (cute) and kimoi (disgusting).

More like enchanting, if you ask me!

Top: Chartreuse earrings in gold with cicada wings, resin, lacquer, paint, and smokey quartz, $780; Märta Mattsson at Sienna Patti

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