Manami Aoki: Where silence becomes form. Grand Award Winner of Romanian Jewelry Week 2025

Each piece she creates is an act of patience and sensitivity, revealing the invisible bond between material and emotion. Through her quiet process of hammering and combing, Aoki invites viewers into a world where jewelry transcends adornment and becomes a meditation on care, empathy, and connection beyond words.


Tell us a bit about your background — when did your passion for jewellery first begin?
My encounter with jewelry began when I was 17, after joining a jewelry-making workshop that a friend invited me to. That experience sparked my curiosity to create jewelry myself. Later, at Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry in Tokyo, I studied under Mikiko Minewaki, who introduced me to the field of contemporary jewelry. I was deeply drawn to it as a form of expression that connects closely with my own thinking.


Could you tell us about your favorite or most emotionally significant piece of jewelry you’ve created — and what makes it special to you?
The first piece from my Hair of the Wood series, created in 2017, is the most emotionally significant to me. Hinoki changes color over time as it ages, and I still keep that piece with me. Seeing its gradual transformation reminds me of my own growth and allows me to return to my beginnings.


How do you feel about winning the Grand Award at Romanian Jewelry Week? What does this recognition mean to you?
Being selected for Schmuck ultimately led to receiving the Grand Award at Romanian Jewelry Week. I feel my work has connected me with people and led to new relationships. Along with joy, I feel deep gratitude to the people who played a role in selecting my work — from the Schmuck exhibition to the Grand Award at Romanian Jewelry Week.


Manami Aoki. Brooch from Hair of the Wood Series, 2023. Hinoki (Japanese cypress), silver, stainless steel.


In Hair of the Wood, you transform hinoki—known for its strength—into something delicate and almost human. What inspired this transformation?
The idea began during a workshop led by Beppe Kessler, themed around “destruction,” when I was a student. During the workshop, I noticed that the edge of my wooden mallet had gently unraveled, its fibers softened by years of use. That quiet observation became the starting point of this transformation.





You describe hammering, rather than carving, as your main method. What drew you to this unconventional, almost meditative approach?
I’m drawn to the slow, steady process of watching the wood gradually unravel through repetitive hammering. It makes me feel a sincere connection with the material. Although the process requires patience, the sense of joy and fulfillment upon completion is immense. I also find it appealing that this simple and transparent process allows viewers to imagine how the work was made and feel a sense of closeness to it.





The process of unravelling wood feels both violent and tender. How do you navigate that tension?
Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve truly mastered that tension. There’s always a sense of nervousness when striking the wood — if I’m emotionally unsettled, it may crack; but when I’m calm, it unravels beautifully. At times, it feels as if the wood can see through my heart. I try to approach it humbly, without assuming I can always control it.





You connect the act of combing with affection in Japanese culture. How does this gesture of care resonate with your relationship to the material?
Through the act of combing, I come to feel a deeper affection and care toward the material as it transforms into a finished work.


Do you view your process of hammering and combing as a kind of dialogue with the wood—almost like tending to a living being?
Yes, I do feel that way. From selecting the wood to the final stage of making, I work while constantly questioning and listening. The wood doesn’t give me a clear answer, but I believe that maintaining the attitude of trying to engage in dialogue is what truly matters.


You’ve written that jewellery can “foster empathy and connection beyond words.” Can you share a moment when you witnessed that kind of silent communication?
I still can’t speak English very well, but during an exhibition, I noticed that viewers could sense something about my work even without many words. Because my approach is simple and transparent, they were able to imagine part of the process and feel a connection with it. Of course, words are still very important, but that moment made me realize that jewelry itself can foster empathy and connection beyond language.


What does “value” mean to you when you talk about “transforming the potential of materials into value”?
To me, “value” means something that quietly moves the heart — a sense of discovery or wonder that feels precious, something one naturally wants to cherish.


Manami Aoki. Brooch from Hair of the Wood Series, 2024. Hinoki (Japanese cypress), silver, stainless steel.


Finally, how has Hair of the Wood—this patient act of combing and revealing—changed the way you see jewellery, and perhaps even the world around you?
I’ve been deeply moved by how many people around the world have listened to the dialogue I’ve had with my work. I once believed my jewelry was solitary and that the world was distant, but through this experience, it has come to feel much closer and more connected to me.


Can you share a bit about the collections you’re currently working on or planning next?
I’ve been wanting to create a large-scale piece using this same approach. Since last year, I’ve been searching for a suitable large piece of hinoki wood, and this year, I presented an object work for the first time at a public competition — the Kanazawa World Craft Competition. In addition to developing my jewelry works, I hope to continue expanding my expression seamlessly into larger forms.


Manami Aoki. Brooch from Hair of the Wood Series, 2024. Hinoki (Japanese cypress), silver, stainless steel.


Pre-registrations for ROJW 2026 are now open!
Please complete the form so you can enter the pre-registration for Romanian Jewelry Week 7.0, taking place in Cluj-Napoca between 3-7 June 2026 and 30 Sept - 4th of October 2026 in Bucharest.
 

About the Interviewee

Manami Aoki graduated from Hiko Mizuno College of Jewellery in Tokyo in 2017. Manami Aoki says the following about her work: “In our general impression, wood is a hard material. However, I spent a lot of time hammering and untying it. Through this experiment, I discovered that each piece of wood is composed by many wooden fibers, looking like human hair all messed up and untidy after sleep. Therefore, I want to make it tidy with a comb.”

About the author

Alexandra Bujenita is the PR manager of Romanian Jewelry Week team, Art developer of Creative team of Imbold Cultural Foundation, PR account at Hello Menthol.