Julius Vaitkus

Jewellery maker

©Andrei Vasilenko

Hiding secrets in jewellery

Julius demands a lot from himself
His works are extremely meticulous
A piece is acceptable only when he feels proud of it

Julius Vaitkus smiles a lot, but talks very little. Jewellery has been following him since art school, when in the small town of Kintai, his art teacher first introduced him to the craft and many of its subtleties. After studying the subject in Vilnius, he settled there. And for 14 years he‘s been creating pieces from gold, silver, diamond and ebony. His creations are as modest as he is. They don‘t shock or scream for attention; rather, they quietly wait to be discovered and recognised. After all, his favourite piece of jewellery is a medallion which hides a secret hidden inside, unknown until it is opened. The works of Julius Vaitkus reveal themselves only when observed with care and patience.

Interview

©Andrei Vasilenko

©Andrei Vasilenko

Why did you choose to become a jewellery maker?: I was lucky enough to live in Kintai and study at the local art school where a metal artist was one of the teachers. So I developed useful and practical techniques for metalwork. Another reason was that my older sister also chose to be a jewellery maker.
Do you use any specific techniques?: For my medallions I use the technique of etching with nitric acid. To obtain a special texture, I cover some areas with varnish, then add acid. Later, I clean everything up and repeat it elsewhere. For my Circles collection I use Gaboon ebony, an extremely hard tree that was used by the Egyptian pharaohs.
What inspires you?: The process of my personal improvement. I constantly challenge myself. Looking at my past works, I see my improvement and I see what I want to achieve in the future.
How you do determine if a piece is well made?: When I can look at it and feel proud. When it makes me smile. Over 14 years of work, I have noticed that if I'm happy with the work, I clean up my workspace and take a look at the creation again in a clean environment.

Julius Vaitkus is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2007