Katalin Jermakov

MANA Jewellery Studio

Jewellery maker

©Gábor György Varga

Creating connections

Katalin started training at the age of 14
She hosts international workshops
Her jewellery is both contemporary and traditional

Katalin Jermakov received a degree in Metalwork and Metal Industrial Design from the University of Applied Arts (now MOME). Since 2005 she has been running a studio called MANA Jewelry Studio, where she designs both unique pieces of jewellery and series. Her work is rich in archaic symbols, strong colours, contrasting materials, and geometric forms. For her, jewellery making is like composing a piece of music, in which invisible connections are made between pieces of jewellery and their owners. One of her most important sources of inspiration are gimmel rings from the 17th century, which can be interpreted and worn in a contemporary context. Katalin received the Hungarian Design Award in 2001 and the Noémi Ferenczy Prize in 2009.

Interview

©Gábor György Varga

When did you begin your studies?: I was lucky because I went to an art high school, where we could specialise from the age of 14. The scope of professional activities was much wider, and thus of vocational training, too. We learned a lot of techniques ranging from jewellery making through to creating larger objects, up to a monumental scale.
Do you share your knowledge with your apprentices?: Since my graduation, I have been teaching at various art schools, and currently I am the head of the jewellery specialisation at Budapest Metropolitan University. In addition to creating my collections and curating temporary exhibitions, I have been offering courses, international workshops and master courses for 18 years in my studio.
How do tradition and innovation appear in your jewellery?: I perceive jewellery making as a tradition of many thousands of years, in which the way of thinking in the given age, the nature of the materials, technical development and the symbol system all influence the quality of the objects. I want to partake in this by preserving and updating traditional ideas with contemporary meanings and techniques.
What are your pieces of jewellery about?: I have always been interested in invisible connections, intangible, but perceptible points of contact between objects and people. Perhaps this is why I have been working on creating jewellery that can interrelate with each other, and thus connect the ones who wear them as well, also by using ancient symbols and strong contrasts.

Katalin Jermakov is a master artisan: she began her career in 1983 and she started teaching in 1994