Spot the designer - Andy Emanuel Aelenei/ Romania

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

The first career interest I had was becoming a pilot for commercial airlines. That dream soon died off because I found out that I’m not good at math but a passion that I wanted to pursue while I was a child and felt that I could be doing was becoming an origami artist.  If somebody would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, between ages 11 and 16, I would say that I want to be just that, more exactly I was interested (and I still am) in origami tesselation techniques and design. For those who don’t know, people are doing just that: developing paper folding techniques, creating very complex artistic works, and living out of what they make from paper. One documentary that showcases some of the main artists active in the 2010s and the history of the art is called Between the Folds and I highly recommend it. Rest in peace Akira Yoshizawa for nurturing what was an unexplored traditional craft into such a wonderful and pure form of art.

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

Somewhere at the beginning of 2019. I had my parent’s support for as long as I can remember In pursuing my passions and so, in my teens I was experimenting with techniques of creating art, trying to make a screen printing workshop in my room, spray painting, collages, and so on. None of those wore developing into something that would bring a little bit of income so I can live off my creativity in the long run. Each had a barrier of some sort that was too big for me at that time to cross either from a technical viewpoint or lack of experience in anything else rather than just creating stuff. Those factors, favorable and non-favorable pushed me towards wanting to experiment with jewelry making while in university. It was a bit more straightforward hobby into which I can pour my creative drive, something relatable to more people, which makes it a bit easier to find a target audience, especially when you’re young. So I started making pieces out of broken film cameras that I had laying around, and I soon started playing around with using circuit boards and microchips. I remember clearly when I sanded off the protective layer of a microchip and I was soooo impressed by what I saw. It was a real revelation! This idea came to me because (and I don’t know why) but I’ve always found the analog and electric mechanisms to be so aesthetically fascinating. This idea materialized into about 100 rings and pendants, my first so-to-say collection, made using copper. My now colleague, Dana, saw those pieces because I wanted to give her one or two, and after some time told me that she wants to work with me on making the idea sustainable and since the end of 2020 she did just that, working on every aspect except the manufacturing process. She is something that I’ve never had in making any of the other ideas work and without her, Precious Circuit would not be anything more than a hobby. 

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

That would be a piece I made out of the prism housing of a Zenit-e film camera. At that time, our startup was called Atelier Zenitescu. The term Zenit means a lot to me so making a jewelry piece out of that camera was turning my passion into a tangible object which I could carry out everywhere with me. I love everything about the design and for me, that piece of metal represented so many ideas, even though It is was such a simple form. The shape of it represented my need for grounding into reality at that time and being more stable and consistent with what I do, the fact that it was made from the part that housed the prism of the camera, and that it was supposed to be worn around the heart region, symbolized the protection I needed from the people that tried to change my perspective and vision I’ve created for my life. It was the first jewelry piece I’ve made and worn with great pride.

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

I still love making origami creations, and most of what I do calls for repetitive types of folds that, for me, make for a great meditative exercise I enjoy doing while traveling especially. Other than that I really enjoy being alone, going for a walk in the woods, or taking a bike ride. I’m blessed to have a tiny forest near my workshop where I usually go to charge my batteries. Other passions I have are filmmaking, creating collages, photography, mixed media paintings, experimental video editing, and many other small ones that I haven’t had the time to pursue in the last 2 years, because I’ve focused on Precious Circuit, but I’m happy that shortly I will have the time to work on personal projects too.

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

It is something I’d like to explore as much as I can. Electronic waste is something that represents many problems we have today as a society while being a product of our times, something contemporary so to say. I’ve used traditional manufacturing techniques in making some of my pieces and the contrast it creates about what e-waste represents makes for some very interesting discussions.

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

That would be a piece I’ve made almost a year ago, I think. It was inspired by the motifs on Poarta Sărutului, made by Constantin Brâncuşi. The piece is a representation of the androgynous myth and it’s made using circuit board fragments that are connected in the design but split in two by a texturized copper line. For me, that piece speaks about a very personal, so to say, the pattern I had in life until now and that is not being able to stay together with the one I love and feel connected to. There always have been distance barriers or different ways in which we would see ourselves in the future. I haven’t had many chances to express myself in the jewelry I make but I’ll surely will.

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

That would be the process of making dichromate gelatin holograms on glass. Ever since I saw a pendant a friend of mine had, that was made in this technique, I was so mesmerized and wanted to use this material in my creations but the process is so difficult and depends on so many variables. You need to use a whole room in laboratory conditions and, also, if you don’t protect yourself, you might inhale dust from the main chemical agent that can kill you. So, one day I will surely try to work with this material but one needs months on end to learn the process.

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

Overall I was not affected as much as others, fortunately. During the quarantine period, I used the time to start cutting paper for two big-size collages I’ve planned on creating. That was a real joy to finally have the time to work on it.

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

From the perspective of my niche, which is creating jewelry from waste materials, I believe that this practice is becoming a big category in the field. More and more people are experimenting with pieces made from upcycled materials, are playing around with them in different projects, and are living off of the potential that discarded waste has and it’s truly wonderful. Also, there are many initiatives to stop using newly mined precious metals, only recycled ones, coming from big players in the global jewelry market that really have a damaging impact on our environment if they continue in the wrong direction.

On the creative side, I see so much different perspectives emerging from new or established artisans. It will only grow in that direction. It never ceases to amaze the creative diversity that the industry has. I also see many more accessible opportunities for creators to learn the craft of making jewelry, both as an income source or just as a side gig. The techniques and basics have become democratized. Anybody can learn for free how to express themselves through any art and I believe that in the future, this way of making some money from teaching others what you know as a creator, will only encourage more and more people to pursue an artistic career. This has a snowball effect, where our generation is teaching the next one in a much more personal manner than traditional schools do. I have acquired and developed all my creative skills from learning them on the internet and I cannot wait to have the time and resources to one day teach others what I know and developed myself, and the immense creative possibilities that electronic waste possesses. I feel a need to give back to the creator’s community all I’ve discovered with their help and maybe teach how to establish a workshop like ours to anyone willing to learn.

Find more about the designer Andy Emanuel Aelenei