Gabrijela Kozarić Budiša

Bio

Gabrijela Kozarić Budiša is an artist based in Zagreb with more than 25 years of experience in contemporary jewelry design and creation. She graduated from the CEKAO School for Metal Design and Processing in Zagreb, and continued her development through private study and mentorships in both Zagreb and Moscow. She is a member of ULUPUH – the Croatian Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts, Section for Precious Metal Jewelry Design.
Her artistic work is characterized by the fusion of symbolic language and architectural clarity with emotional layers and memory embedded in material. She creates jewelry as an intimate poetic form that carries the imprint of body, time, and space. In addition to designing, shaping, and making author jewelry, Gabrijela also practices art photography and photographs her own pieces. She has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and a silver cuff inspired by the traditional *orukavlje* of the Zagorje folk costume is part of the permanent collection of the Krapina City Museum.
 

Statement

The body wears memory.
My work arises from an inner stillness and personal memory carried by the body. I shape jewelry as an intimate story – tracing relationships, time, and vulnerability. In my process, I’m drawn to forms that carry the imprint of touch, motion, and incompleteness. I use precious metals, but meaning is more important to me than shine – each surface, each imperfection, holds a story. I do not see jewelry as decoration, but as a subtle language of communication.
I believe what is true only becomes visible when everything else quiets down.

Currently, I am working on a new series titled "Childhood", where I explore tactile memory, presence, and the symbolic language of early emotional imprints.