Contemporary Jewellery is a Great Pleasure for Both the Creator and Wearer. Interview with Stanislava Grebenickova by Klimt02

Tell us about your background. What were your first influences to be creative and become an artist and what has drawn you to contemporary jewellery?
Like most of my art colleagues, I have been attracted by visual arts since childhood. I kept drawing all the time, attended different art courses followed by admission to the High School of Glassmaking in Železný Brod. I continued my studies at Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture in Prague in the glass studio under the guidance of an excellent glass artist and Professor Mr. Stanislav Libensky.
Mr. Libensky was the most important person who stood at the beginning of my career, who significantly influenced me and opened the door to the world of creativity, art, and especially to understand the fundamental artistic principles.
At first, I was not interested in jewelry at all, I devoted myself to painting on glass, glass sculptures, design of utility objects, lighting, etc. Only at the time when I had small children and my time had to be divided between family and art, I realized that the art objects do not necessarily always have to be large and that for example the jewellery may be a small area where one can project one's idea, a small three-dimensional sculpture, a completely unique artifact. At that time paradoxically due to lack of time, the idea to try to get on the author's jewelry arose.


How important is networking for you in your professional practice and what are your preferred tools for this?
Of course, creating a network of contacts is very important. During my professional life, I have had many opportunities to participate in international exhibitions all around the world, symposiums, lectures, or foreign courses as the instructor, so that I have made a wide range net of contacts that work quite well.
I still follow the international scene of artists of all disciplines too. I am interested in not only art jewelry, but also the work of the youngest generation of artists. I teach at the school of glassmaking so that every year me and my students, we participate in the design trade fairs and events in the Czech Republic and I organize the exhibitions of their work abroad, study trips, competitions, etc. too.
From time to time I work as an opponent member of the commission for diploma thesis of university students, which is a very refreshing and joyful experience for me as well.


Stanislava Grebenickova. Brooch: Red Dot, 2013, Glass, Ø 9.5 x 0.2 cm. Photo by: Eva Heyd.


What are your general thoughts on the contemporary jewellery world, (education, market, development...), where do you see chances and where are dead ends?
The current world of contemporary jewelry is infinitely diverse, and I understand it as an artistic discipline with an almost inexhaustible source of human creativity. It turns back into history, it points to the future, it reflects our present, it delights us with its beauty, it provokes us with its form, it can be wearable or just existing without a specific function, but it is certainly a great pleasure for both the creator and later on for its wearer.
The reason why I also like contemporary designer jewelry is that it usually does not follow the fashion trends, uses almost all existing materials, and always bears the original imprint of its creator. In addition to the decorative function, it also carries a certain idea and is able to arouse positive emotions in us.
 

Thinking about your career, what role do technology and the digital play in your artistic development & communication?
Due to the material I work with, technology is very important for my work. However, it is the technology of glass material, its production and its processing. Digital technologies have not really affected my work, and if so, only in the design phase, not the implementation/ realisation phase.
 

How has your work changed over the past few years and what are you excited about these days?
My work has quite changed in connection with my twelve years of teaching at the glass school and in the sense that I have relatively little time for it. Sometimes I experiment with different enamels or natural materials and finishing techniques, looking for new sources of inspiration, but basically, it's the continuity of my previous work. But it's not just glass sculpture and jewelry that I am focused on, it's also painting and especially the technique of pastel and watercolor, which bring me new pleasures and joy nowadays.