Did you like to make bracelets and earrings from plasticine as a child, or did your passion for jewelry-making develop later? As a child, I was always busy drawing, coloring, cutting out pictures from paper, and later I made figurines from
Did you like to make bracelets and earrings from plasticine as a child, or did your passion for jewelry-making develop later?
As a child, I was always busy drawing, coloring, cutting out pictures from paper, and later I made figurines from clay and fimo. I never thought about jewelry when I was very young. I was not interested in how to decorate the human body, I was more interested in objects as such: figures, people and animals. Basically, I first wanted to become a ceramist, but I soon realized that clay was not my material. even today when I make a piece of jewelry, I don't think about the jewelry as such, I'm more interested in its narrative side. This is probably why my jewelry pieces are more miniature sculptures than fashion accessories.
When did creation turn into your April story?
April is basically just waking up. The idea for it was born last year, after visiting a German jewelry fair. In addition to unique jewelry, I always wanted to create jewelry that could be produced in series. It seems easy, but it wasn't like that for me. How to easily, quickly and fairly cheaply come up with and make a collection that will be interesting, likeable and a little different at the same time? April is supposed to be just that. The guide in creation is nature, which is the point of contact with my unique products, so I thought it appropriate to name my studio that way.
Does each product have its own symbolism and meaning or is it just a fashion accessory?
I am mainly interested in jewelry as small plastic, as wearable small plastic. So I first imagine the story, and only then do I deal with how it will be worn. I must point out that all my jewelry pieces are hollow, which reduces the weight of each piece, which is especially important from the point of view of wearability. It also happens that people prefer to put my jewelry in a frame and use it to decorate their apartment, not themselves.
What do you create from? Do you use any special materials in the production?
I always use silver to make jewelry, often adding gold details to it. Sometimes I use a bit of copper for the color, and I also often blacken and oxidize the silver. I also enamel some pieces, especially when I want bright colors.
Your jewelry often has the shape of animals and plants. Do you have a secret corner where you go and get ideas for your products?
Ideas lurk everywhere, you just need to see them, and this often depends on your mood and willingness to translate what you see into a creative idea. The easiest way to do this is when I have visited some excellent exhibition or some other event favorable to the artistic sense. Of course, I mostly draw ideas from nature, so plants and animals always appear in my stories.
Can you make every crazy idea come true, or are some impossible to realize?
At the beginning of my creative journey, I had quite a few problems, because I did not know how to coordinate ideas and practical knowledge. So many ideas were unfeasible for me. Over the years, however, you gain more knowledge about jewelry making techniques and learn to translate the idea into metal. Somehow, you choose the jewelry design technique that suits you best, and in time your mind and hands become aligned. Of course, it's never too late to learn some new technique and thereby enrich your creativity.
You are in a big hurry at exhibitions, where you also display your products. Which exhibition was particularly memorable to you and why?
I really like to prepare jewelry for exhibitions. That's when it's easiest to withdraw into my own world and live only for what really makes me happy. I have to say that so far all my exhibitions have remained in my memory, but if I have to highlight one, it would be last year's exhibition in Monfalcone. The organizers carried it out very professionally and very imaginatively, so it will remain in my pleasant memory for a long time.
Are you currently preparing for a special event?
I am currently preparing for an exhibition where I will collaborate with the illustrator and creator of fairy-tale worlds, Mojca Sekulič. In her paintings, I choose a specific motif and then translate it into an object, jewelry made of metal. She does the same - she draws inspiration for her pictures from my products. I'm really enjoying this project, because her ideas are similar to mine, but different, which is a special challenge for me. You can find out more about this project on mine and Mojča's website.
Have you considered presenting your miniatures elsewhere abroad?
I have already exhibited abroad, most recently last December, in Italy, in Trieste.
You spent a lot of time abroad during your studies. What brought you back to Maribor?
After studying in London, I decided to continue and finish my studies in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Halifax is a small and sleepy town, in complete contrast to London, where everything is full of wonderful exhibitions, challenges and differences. There was no way I could love Halifax, so after finishing my studies, the way back home seemed like the best option.
Where do you go when you're not designing jewelry?
Almost every day is filled with jewelry design, so I have less time for myself. I dedicate this to walks, socializing over coffee, meditation.
Is there any other jewelry brand that you particularly like?
I love individual designers like Giovanni Corvaja, Maurizio Stagni, Carmen Amador, Ilka Bruse, etc. Many good jewelry designers can be discovered at www.metalcyberspace.com.
As an artist, do you have any advice on where to go for a tempting dinner and good music in the city?
Unfortunately, there are not many restaurants in Maribor that I like. One of my favorites is Rožmarin, also because of the ambiance, and they always know how to serve good music across the street, in Barista. Of course, I always look forward to good ethno concerts as well.
