CGD

The work of jeweler Janja Prokić has been poised on the border between object, talisman and intimate artefact. Her jewelry pieces do not merely function as status symbols or decoration but are also vessels of memory, inner experience and spiritual rapture. The Eiréné collection was inspired by the fairy-tale story “Iris” written in 1918 by Hermann Hesse.

Prokić often works with natural motifs, archetypes and symbolic forms that are less descriptive and rather more evocative. They are fragments open for interpretation, sensitive to time and wear. The piece of jewelry is a meaningful object which comes into its own by being worn and touched, engaging its wearer in a personal relationship. While conventional jewelry communicates value through glam, precision and legible luxury, Prokić uses a different strategy: reduction, opacity, darkness and inner concentration. Much like the Iris in Hesse’s story “says nothing” but still has a profound effect, so too does the jewelry of Janja Prokić act as a “wise” object reluctant to import any easily understandable meaning. “I liked how Hesse describes the gold hairs on the bottom side of Iris leaves as a path for bugs. I took this as a symbol of the inner journey towards our heart. I believe that we see the truth with our heart rather than with our eyes,” explains the designer. We often understand Irises as flowers full of erotic sensuality, but the collection approaches them differently – Eiréné is the ancient Greek goddess of peace, tranquility and balance, not a mere absence of conflict, but rather a profound inner state of being. “I wanted this collection to connect the symbolism of an Iris as a path towards the soul and the goddess Eiréné, who is the protector of such a soulscape,” explains Janja.

True values do not come from the ambition to be seen but rather from the willingness to be present. The central gemstone of this collection is blue sapphire – a symbol of truth, fidelity and faith. Another important gem is emerald which has been a symbol of worlds merging and the search for inner harmony. All known traditions connect emerald with an elevated state of being and faith in giving ourselves up to a higher order. The emphasis on “seeing with the heart” rather than the eyes references intuition, physicality and subjective experience. The collection includes Janja’s traditional sculptural jewelry as well as pieces made for daily wear. The format is not an obstacle for her, as she is able to retain her artistic integrity and authenticity at all times. Her work remains open to the opportunity for personal ritual and she consciously works with an open-ended meaning that is only made complete by the character of the wearer.

Jan Králíček