American jewelry designer Tony Papp

American jewelry designer Tony Papp
The life of the talented jewelry designer Anthony Papp was bright but tragic. Born into the family of renowned theater producer and director Joseph Papp (1921 – 1991), he died very young, at the age of 29, and the same year as his 70-year-old father. The cause of his death was AIDS. Having lived a short life, he nevertheless managed to enter the history of jewelry design. This year the designer would have turned 60 and one can only imagine how many jewelry masterpieces he would have been able to create if he had not died so early.
A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Anthony opened his gallery in the prestigious Trump Tower shopping district in 1986. Noteworthy, the first visitors to the opening were Donald Trump and the famous father of the designer.
Along with his works, Anthony Papp exhibited works by famous and emerging jewelers. However, due to high competition and financial difficulties, the gallery existed for only 2 years. Papp’s modernist metal designs were unable to withstand the brilliant sheen of the famous brands.
During his short life, he managed to teach at art schools and create unique jewelry exhibited in major galleries in his native New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Traditionally, Papp used several metals that created some play in his flowing, three-dimensional geometric designs. According to the designer himself, Russian constructivists inspired him most of all, and he was a constructivist at heart.

American jewelry designer Tony Papp (1961-1991)