Handmade jewelry, Χειροποίητο κόσμημα by Maria Apostolou

Jewelry designer, metalsmith

Location: Chalkida, Greece.

Training:

2009: “Experimental Jewelry”, weekly summer course, Central St. Martins College of Art & Design, London.
2006-2007: “Jewelry Making Techniques II”, Municipal School of Jewelry, Chalkida, Greece.
2005-2006: “Jewelry Making Techniques I”, Municipal School of Jewelry, Chalkida, Greece.

Statement:

My work can be described as a continuous search for beauty and simplicity.

Beauty can be transient or hidden in the mundane. Sometimes it 's in the little details, in a delicate leaf or even in the decay. Beauty is thought to be subjective, hence it can be found potentially everywhere. Studying colors and textures of the surrounding environment, collecting natural specimens and observing seasonal transformations are ways to approach what is often elusive.

In this quest, precious and non-precious materials are equally important. I often choose to combine sterling silver and gemstones with alternative or repurposed materials like resin, paper, pebbles, fibers and textiles not only for their visual and tactile qualities, but also for the stories they carry within.

To integrate them, I'm drawn by simple, geometrical shapes and abstract botanical forms, which are then meticulously rendered into wearable objects.