Dominican Republic Haiti Curacao Puerto Rico Volume 1 no. 9
Caribbean Curacao Triangle EDITOR/ WRITER Marta LugoKORALART
gallery free exposition on the palm beach of the BREEZES Resort
open week days from 9 till 5 phone/fax 5 999 4652122
koralart@curinfo.an
There's a man in Curacao who lives by the sea. His eyes are
clear as the sea waters and, like the sea, he is stubborn. his
name is Bert Knubben.(64) He is on the beach of the BREEZES
Resort and a craftsman of the exclusive black "kings" coral
jewelry which he stubbornly insist must be written black
"koral". A nice touch, since the initials are his own and in
Curacao, he is synonymous with this semiprecious stone which he
painstakingly works in his tiny shop, the KORALART gallery,
together with his pretty wife Fennie, on the palm beach of the
Breezes Resort.
Bert recalls when his father brought the family from the
Netherlands at a age 7 and he saw the sea for the very first
time: "We arrived one afternoon and early the next morning we
were at sea. The rapture has lasted. Since his 14th, Bert has
been diving for coral, sometimes diving to depths below 160
feet, which is where the quality "kings" coral is found.
The problems intrinsic in diving at those depths and the time
and patience put into working and finishing the "kings" coral,
mother of pearl jewelry or coral stone sculptures are factors in
the value of the artistic product. Bert started selling his
sea-swept stones to tourists at the age of 14 and in '67,
started shaping his own jewelry designs. Among his
miniature-formed marine figurines his best-sellers are the
graceful black "kings" coral dolphin pendants, his unique mother
of pearl ear studs and pendants are also popular gift items. All
his jewelry is finished with 14 kt gold and sterling silver.
Professional diver/artisan Bert Knubben has made the sea his
life ever since that first rapturous encounter. Like most
divers, he has had his share of close calls, "You realize how
fragile you are and learn your limitations". But he returns
every day, drawn by the sea and the promise of mother of pearl
and jet black koral waiting to be shaped into miniatures of
lasting beauty by a craftsman who has made of BK a lot more than
a signature.
Handcrafts from shell's and coral carry with it the sanction of
a tradition that has been transmitted from the very early days
of our civilization.
http://www.koralart.net
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