Marina Stanimirovic | wearable objects with intimacy and honesty

When we discovered Marina Stanimirovic we were instantly captivated by her wearable art. Yet her creations go far beyond "jewellery". She explores the world through various mediums such as wearable objects, sculpture and sound.

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOU...

I am a French-born artist, based in London. After six years of jewellery studies in France, I did my master's degree at the Royal College of Art in London and decided to stay here after my graduation in 2013. Exploring tangible and intangible spaces through different mediums such as sculpture, wearable objects and sound, my work initiates conversations between heterogeneous materials, volumes and shapes. My interest is located not in the isolated, individual entities as such, but in their relationships and interactions. My creative process is in total correlation with my concepts.

WHAT HAS PROMPTED YOU TO START WORKING FOR YOURSELF? WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING?

I never really wanted to work for a company. I actually don’t think that I would be very good at it. I love to do different collaborations and commissions, as it is very interesting to work with someone and find a common language for a specific project. But when it comes to my own work, because it is very intimate and personal, I do need my freedom. This freedom, however, has a price and I would say that the hardest, for now, is the precariousness of every day. Having to take every decision by myself can sometimes be a bit tiring too.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

I am inspired by absolutely everything I find interesting.
A conversation, a film, a book, a sound, a building, a landscape...

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT PROJECT? ANY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE…?

At the moment I am developing a new body of work; a series of sculpture, spaces and jewellery, exploring hinges and links, not only as components of a piece but also as pieces themselves. It is a choreography of shapes, volumes and materials; using the vocabulary of architecture and design as a metaphor to evoke the notions of connections, tensions, balance and spaces. In terms of the jewellery, I would like to go back to precious metals such as gold and silver and mix them with rubber and glass as I do for my sculptures. But because the scale is very small, it is technically more challenging, so that will take some time. It's a work in progress...

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE MATERIALS YOU WORK WITH, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MATERIAL AND WHY?

I choose my materials according to what I want to say. Starting from a thought, I generally first establish its volume and then I choose the material, texture and thickness that would serve the concept the best. When it comes to jewellery, for the past four years, I have been using a lot of Corian. This is a resin that had the perfect weight, softness and coldness for what I was producing at the time. Lately, I came back to working with eco gold and I am enjoying it a lot. It is a very nice and easy material to work with. I particularly like the 9ct eco gold, which has a slightly subtle yellow colour.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR WORK?

I am not sure that we can say it's unique, but beyond a purely aesthetic approach, I am trying to work with honesty and context. For my wearable pieces, I am always aware of the body in order to create an object that would have a special and intimate relationship with the owner and his/her own body.

WHAT PART OF THE PRODUCTION DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?

Making research and models is the best. I love to look for inspiration, read things, take pictures…and then, to go to my studio to play and experiment with my spare materials. I also really love the very end of the creation, when I get to give the new piece to a client and have them try the piece on for the first time, hopefully seeing their happy face or discussing adjustments if needed.

JUST WONDERING, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE A PIECE OF YOUR JEWELLERY?

From 30 mins to 4 days, it really depends on which one.

WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?

My art is a way to comprehend and translate the word as I see it. I suppose my goal is to be able to live from what I do - sculpture, objects, jewellery, music, without concessions.

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?

Together with my sculptures and jewellery, I do music and dance as often as I can. Music and dance are the deepest source of expression for me; I don’t think that I could live without it.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

intimacy and honesty

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT DESIGNERS BASED IN LONDON?

The surviving instinct! Ha! Mostly due to its cost, London is a very tough city to live in as a young artist or a designer. But in reply to it, it pushes us to constantly produce, show and evolve in our work. And with this also comes a great open-mindedness. As we all are in the same situation and coming from all over the world, we often share and gather for discussions, shows or collaborations to be stronger.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE DESIGNERS?

I love Peter Zumthor, for his philosophy in architecture, Jean Prouvé, for his pragmatism and simplicity. Regarding jewellery, I am a big fan of Karl Fritsch, Bernard Schobinger and Friedrich Becker’s work.

WHAT PLACES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO DESIGN LOVERS IN LONDON?

For my pictures, I often cycle around, get lost and discover real pearls of the city! London is very rich in “service design”. Any tube station, for instance, is inspiring - mostly for the arrangement of materials, colours and shape of their floors, stairs, handlebars… I also like to explore squares and playgrounds, particularly of housing estates, where you can find beautiful public benches, bins and barriers. But if I had to suggest one place to visit, I would go for a classic, the Barbican. More than a place, the Barbican is a real space to experiment in its entirety.

WHAT DOES MINIMALISM MEAN TO YOU?

Comprehension and respect of the materials, volumes or shapes. Discernment, simplicity and honesty in their use.

SHOP MARINA STANIMIROVIC

NURA's INSTAGRAM