Dunja Pantic & Godfrey Manyuke

Niiunia

Jewellery maker

Wonai_Haruperi©Michelangelo_Foundation

United by craft

Designer Dunja and goldsmith Godfrey collaborate as Niiunia
Nature and traditional African jewellery influence their designs
Godfrey’s son has become one of their apprentices

Dunja Pantic always harboured a desire to create jewellery and she started Niiunia in 2019 when she met Godfrey Manyuke, experienced goldsmith. Godfrey studied sculpture at university and honed his jewellery-making skills with an apprenticeship. He has worked as a goldsmith at a local workshop since 2002. Of Serbian heritage, Dunja grew up in Zimbabwe and studied design in Florence and New York. Both Godfrey and Dunja are inspired by nature and traditional African jewellery, which influences the striking shapes of their pieces. Their designs are primarily made using sterling silver, although they occasionally use recycled metals from old jewellery pieces or cutlery. In his practice, Godfrey also works with indigenous gemstones. A proud moment for him was when his son became his apprentice.

Interview

Wonai_Haruperi©Michelangelo_Foundation

Wonai_Haruperi©Michelangelo_Foundation

Do you remember when you first thought of picking up this craft?: Dunja: I cannot remember the exact moment, but I know that I always had a lingering desire to create jewellery. Godfrey: I have always been a sculptor by nature, so doing a goldsmith apprenticeship seemed the instinctive path to follow.
What was the first object you collaborated on?: Dunja: The first object we collaborated on was a twisted bracelet. I made a prototype with clay, which was falling apart and felt nervous as it was quite big and challenging. I had no idea whether we would understand each other. It turned out to be beautiful and is my favourite piece to this today.
What are your specialisations?: Godfrey: I am a sculptor by trade and in the past carved elaborate rural scenes on wooden doors. This informs my jewellery-making technique. I tend to focus on the little details, be it a crocodile with all its patterns and textures for a belt buckle or creating intricate designs using small gemstones.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: Dunja: I am mainly inspired by African jewellery, I like to dissect the traditional shapes and simplify them to conform to today’s tone. Godfrey: I create detailed belt buckles or bracelets depicting various local wild animals, which are very typical in this part of the world. Back in the day, I would use materials intrinsically linked to traditional African jewellery crafting, and today I use indigenous gemstones instead.

Dunja Pantic & Godfrey Manyuke are master artisans: they began their career in 2017