27 November 1884, Guadalajara, Spain -
11 September 1982, New York, NY, USA
While living in Paris in 1915, José de Creeft moved away from the classical techniques of sculpting to taille direct. It is technique of spontaneity, where de Creeft allowed himself to become part of the entire process, responding to each block of marble or stone, or piece of wood individually, without working to a preconceived idea. In 1929 he moved to New York, bringing this new style of carving with him. In 1960 he had a retrospective in the Whitney Museum and the exhibition travelled around the States for the next two years. He only produced a few unique jewels either for his family or close friends.