Ernesta Statkutė

Jewellery maker

©Gediminas Žilinskas

©Vilma Statkuvienė

A miniature world full of stories

Ernesta turned to jewellery after working in interior design
Imagination, enthusiasm and an urge to create are important to her
She finds unusual forms of nature inspiring

Ernesta Statkutė’s path to jewellery making emerged out of her interest in interior design. After graduating from interior design studies at the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, she realised that she wanted to break out of the discipline’s bounds. She found it much more important to be able to create freely – after all, in a small piece of jewellery an entire world can be created – or hidden. Ernesta’s jewellery evokes associations with the world of flora or fauna. But there is space for humans as well, as miniature human figurines inhabit her pieces, turning them into miniature sculptures. Humans and plants live secret lives designed to be carried around on a body. Here, narratives are translated into silver, we just have to try to read them.

Interview

©Vilma Statkuvienė

©Vilma Statkuvienė

What fascinates you most about jewellery making?: Freedom. I studied interior design initially, you might think it is also a creative field, but the wishes and financial possibilities of the customer are very important, which is sometimes limiting. Whereas jewellery making allows self-expression that is very free and has no boundaries.
What is your source of inspiration?: As banal as it may sound, it is nature. But for me, nature is not the trees we see through the window every day. I am more attracted to – and inspired by – animate forms of nature, whether they are rare birds and animals. I choose species that we don’t see in our environment every day.
At what moment do you decide that your piece is good?: It’s a feeling. When I am enjoying my work and confident it generally means it has turned out well. That doesn’t mean that I’ll still think the same in a year but I’m happy every day if I can do something better than I did yesterday. I compare myself not to others but myself – and what matters to me is how much I develop each day.
What would you say to a person who wants to take up making jewellery?: The key is to start. If you only dream and think about it, the time may never come. But if there is a wish, you have to be bold and do it. Gain knowledge wherever possible. You just have to be creative, imaginative and have an urge to do it.

Ernesta Statkutė is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2014