Spot the Designer - Marina Simeonova/ Bulgaria

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I was in love with cartoons, and still am. I wanted to become animator so I graduated Animation directing in the National Academy of Theater and Film Art in Sofia. Giving life to still images and characters is still the most magical thing to me.

When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?

I always had a passion for jewelry, but at the beginning it was just a useful hobby. I was making pieces for me and my friends.  It became professional during my parenting period. I had to stay home for a long time and take care of my three  little children. I needed to have some independent project and outlet for the creative energy that  I couldn’t use otherwise.   I established my jewelry brand OMAYA in 2011. It was kind of a sanctuary for my artistic soul, a “place” or a “way” to be with myself  beside being a mom.  Slowly this activity overtook my life and became my main job.

What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?

I don’t remember my first project, because I have been creating jewelry since I was a teenager. What was really significant for me was Anima collection. It was my first try with more bold and artistic jewelry design and during that time I realized: though I like  all different kinds and styles of jewelry, my heart is into contemporary design and art pieces. In a way, each jewelry piece I experience as a short movie, with a whole story and statement to tell. And the whole collections are like series of short movies.

How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?

I adore nature, this is my main source of inspiration. I love to gaze into it’s perfect harmony as a collective soul with so many forms. All this variety of shapes, colors, textures, some so similar but never the same, and always in harmony! I love to stay outdoors and camp into the wild. This is how OMAYA was born, on a secret wild beach at the coast of the Black sea.  I am also into graphic and  interior design, painting and of course movies. Another different  passion of mine  is fire. Years before  I was taught to work with it as a silversmith, I learned to dance with fire. It is like a meditation to me, a flirt with this elemental. This practice helps a lot  to develop concentration and work equally with both brain hemispheres.

What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?

There is absolutely no contradiction, but a relationship as between mother and child. We should be thankful to all the craft people and silver/goldsmith masters before us, who invented and developed all the techniques, tools and gadgets that we can use now to experiment and fulfill our crazy ideas! For sure solid basic skills are essential. You have to learn to walk first, before starting to run, and trying to fly…

Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?

As in painting, I believe all kinds of art pieces are in some way self–portraits of the artist. It is the same with jewelry - each piece is a portrait of different aspects of an artist’s personality, dreams, thoughts - basically a fruit of their energy. I see myself in all of my creations, but maybe two of my recent collections describe a wide range of my personality: TAUFR is the warrior and the wanderer that is thirsty for adventures and new horizons and AETHER is the one Me, that dreams for flowers and stares into mind and space.

Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?

I am very interested to try all kinds of plastic. We have a lot of it, don’t we… Besides the desire to recycle it somehow, it has quite interesting qualities and ways to work with it. I am curious how it will correspond with the natural materials I usually use. Reusing and up-cycling human waste into something beautiful, a piece of art or jewelry, gives me the greatest fulfillment as an artist. I would like to experiment with wood and random intricate stones. 

How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?

I think it was good time to all artists in general. We finally had TIME! Besides the financial side which wasn’t that cheerful it was a very creative period. It also gave me a good reflection on what my business means to me, and  to my customers. I was receiving very cheerful messages from them, not to give up.

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

Endless Universe! There always will be something new and extraordinary to try and to experiment with. New ways to embody artists’ statements into jewelry. It is quite exciting!

Find more about the designer Marina Simeonova