Šarūnė Vaitkutė

Jewellery maker

©Šarūnė Žygienė

©Raimonda Vyšnia

©Andrej Vasilenko

Spreading joy through jewellery

Šarūnė wants her work to provoke emotion
She takes inspiration from nature and her own life
One of her favourite materials to work with is amber

Šarūnė Vaitkutė is a jewellery maker whose works are intended to spread joy. There are no industrial forms or provocative themes in her work. Instead, she constantly talks about finding unity with the surrounding world, about the inner and outer senses coming together in harmony. To her, the world is beautiful, and that is reflected in her work. Her pieces – made out of gold, white, black or yellow amber and enamel – are very elegant. However, the most important aspect of her jewellery is the emotions it provokes, for example the flutter of joy a customer may feel inside them when they look at her heart-shaped pendant.

Interview

©Raimonda Vyšnia

©Andrej Vasilenko

When did you first consider being a jewellery maker?: I was studying at the Kintai School of Art, spending the entire summer making a large scale enamel project. And at that moment, I started thinking about how I would like to feel the same in the future – to fall into the creative world inside my mind and drown in it, and then resurface with a result in the end.
Do you use any specific techniques?: I like any technique that requires using your hands, not machines. I have favourite materials too: gold, enamel, and all kind of amber – black, white, yellow, transparent and without lustre.
What inspires you?: My biggest inspiration is my life. I try to live in a way where everything is consistent: creativity, holidays, life, relationships. I‘m excited by nature, travelling, mountains, untouched and undiscovered places, especially nature, with all its micro beings and micro worlds.
Can you recall a special moment in your career?: The most extraordinary part was the beginning, when I had just decided to commit to studying jewellery, even though I was encouraged to study something more 'serious'. Every day I chose to survive somehow, but do what I believe in. I am thankful that I chose to stay true to my heart.

Šarūnė Vaitkutė is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2004