Spot the Designer - Vadym Logvynenko/ Ukraine

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

Once, when I was a child, my grandfather took me to the forge to pick up some items he had ordered the day before. I remember that I was very impressed with how the craftsmen made gorgeous products from unsightly pieces of iron. So when we returned home I dreamed I would be a blacksmith too. Now I look back and remember that experience, I can say that my dream came true. Although it happened at a mature age.

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

I worked for one person and we needed to make congratulatory coins, but unfortunately, the jewelers I contacted did not give the desired result.  So I went to study 3d modeling.  After that, I met a master who worked directly with metal in the workshop, and I asked him to be his apprentice.  And very soon, working with metal, I saw an endless number of possibilities that inspired me to creativity.

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

There was one very significant job for me. It was a private order for the symbolic "Ring of Saturn". For this object, I had to use an old horseshoes, so I had to work as both a blacksmith and a jeweler. In the process of this work, I discovered that this is the true meaning of jewelry, to be a talisman/amulet, more than just a decoration.

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

Usually, nature and museums help me. I love sketching as well.

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

I see the connection in the presence of meaning and idea that the product carries. It makes things full, weighty, and meaningful. In the age of consumerism, this is of particular importance.

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

For sure it is the collection "The Way" which is about our life path, as a result of which we acquire value. Every item from the collection is customized and never repeated. So, for every owner, his piece is a kind of a portrait.

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

I dream to find a way of mixing metal and textile. As I imagine it to be a real challenge for me.

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

Like most people, at first, I was a little scared and confused, but I quickly realized the value of this time. For me, it was to stop and re-evaluate everything that my life consists of, look ahead and take only what really matters to me. The feeling of eternity came to me with renewed vigor. It helps me do fewer empty actions. And I became kinder and calmer. I think my experience is not unique.

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

I feel that art (together with contemporary jewelry) is a new religion.  Because, as said by Wassily Kandinsky in his book "Concerning the Spiritual in Art" (1911)  "art is a child of its time and, as part of the spiritual life, has an awakening power". So I hope artists will express their inner light, not the latest artistic trends, and will remember that they are a kind of visionary for common people.

Find more about the designer Vadym Logvynenko