There are artists who create objects, and then there are artists who create worlds. Pascal Morabito belongs firmly in the latter category. Sculptor, jeweler, Morabito hotels owner, architect of dreams, and poetic provocateur of form, Pascal has spent his life blurring the boundaries between luxury and legacy. Born in France and trained in the traditions of fine craftsmanship, he is perhaps best known for his revolutionary work in jewelry design, his signature perfumes that linger like memory, and his sculptural installations that turn myth into matter. For the past two decades, he has also been quietly curating something far more elemental: a vast, soul-stirring collection of Indonesian tribal art.
Now, in the heart of Bali—his adopted creative sanctuary—Pascal Morabito prepares to unveil a new chapter. This August, the Kempinski Hotel will host a major exhibition of his Indonesian collection, a deeply personal archive of over 20 years of exploration, reverence, and obsession. This is not merely an exhibition of ethnographic relics—it is a poetic collision of time, texture, and meaning.
In this exclusive conversation with Chic Icon, Morabito opens the doors of his universe—where his Morabito hotels are designed like art pieces, jewelry speaks of stars, and the pursuit of art is nothing less than a sacred ritual.
Chic Icon: Since our last conversation a year ago, what new developments have taken shape? I heard there’s a new exhibition coming up at the Kempinski in Bali?
Pascal Morabito: That’s right. For the past 20 years, I’ve been collecting Indonesian artifacts—pieces from every corner of the archipelago. There are so many tribes here, and each has its own story, its own symbolism. I collect what speaks to me. It started when I was a child—first Egyptian pieces, then Roman, pre-Columbian. My Egyptian collection is now in a museum in France. When I first arrived in Indonesia, I had just one piece. Now I have twenty collectors who travel across the islands and bring me worthy objects. It’s become a universe.
Chic Icon: How do you determine what’s authentic or valuable?
Pascal Morabito: I know when something is real. But sometimes, beauty doesn’t need to be ancient. Wood, for example, doesn’t last thousands of years—it decays. Some pieces are 20 or 30 years old but beautiful. Others are over 200. You can feel the soul.
Chic Icon: And some are artificially aged?
Pascal Morabito: Yes. They’ve been treated to look older. But that doesn’t diminish their power. Some are simply magnificent.
Chic Icon: Do you have a favorite tribe?
Pascal Morabito: It’s like fashion on Avenue Montaigne—Hermès, Miu Miu, Céline. Each is different, but all have their unique style. It’s the same with the tribes. The Mentawai, the Batak—they each have their own language of form. You start to recognize the signatures.
Chic Icon: Will the Kempinski exhibition feature your entire Indonesian collection?
Pascal Morabito: Not all of it, but a rich selection. The essence. Every culture will be represented.
Chic Icon: What’s the oldest piece you have?
Pascal Morabito: The oldest are in stone. Stone can survive for a million years. I have fossils—like turtle shells—thousands of years old. One of my most curious pieces is a fossilized elephant brain from France. It could be a million years old. It holds a very special energy. At the same time, I also have a 13th-century sculpture of Jesus and Mary—weathered by time. The erosion makes it feel modern.
Chic Icon: Any idea what your Indonesian collection is worth?
Pascal Morabito: I know what I paid—around $10 million. But today, it could be ten times that. Some pieces cost me $300, but how do you price something that’s 20,000 years old?! Maybe it’s worth $300,000. Maybe it’s priceless. Maybe only a museum would understand.
Chic Icon: Are any of these for sale?
Pascal Morabito: Yes. The exhibition at Kempinski is also a sale. If someone connects with a piece, they can have it. With that money, I’ll keep collecting. Some sell low, some high. But the rarest ones… they have no price.
Chic Icon: Are you working on any new pieces for the show?
Pascal Morabito: Yes. I’m creating an installation inspired by the waves of Kanagawa using rice spoons collected from different Indonesian tribes. Wooden spoons have the same shape across all Indonesian tribes, so it’s easy to assemble them. I have around 500 from all over Indonesia. They’ll form a great wave. Simple. Symbolic. Universal.
Chic Icon: Beautiful. This will be part of the exhibition?
Pascal Morabito: Yes. Alongside it, I’m also designing a unique restaurant and cultural space in Nuanu Creative City in Bali—built with traditional architecture, filled with musical instruments, clothing, and textiles from every tribe. A living museum!
Chic Icon: What’s next with Morabito Hotels?
Pascal Morabito: I don’t plan much. I follow instinct and expand little by little every year with Morabito Art Cliff and Morabito Art Villa. Right now, I’m working on something new—a wellness concept. A place for natural medicine. No surgery, no drugs. Just analysis, regulation. A space to rebalance the body and mind.
Chic Icon: Are you still running your other businesses?
Pascal Morabito: Of course—perfume, cosmetics, jewelry. I build a little every day. The perfumes and cosmetics are distributed in luxury hotels all over the world; they’re part of the travel experience now, in a way – small, elegant touches of beauty. The jewelry collection is available online, as is the perfume line, and both have become known worldwide.
Chic Icon: Thank you for your time! Any other comments?
Pascal Morabito: Just that life is beautiful. Indonesia is a treasure. Bali is a dream. The people, the energy—it’s a gift.
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