KEMBALI - RETURN TO THE NATURE
Daily rituals have a beginning and an end. They are an endless cycle of returns. But is it possible to return when nothing is the same anymore? Anna Orska revisited Bali eight years after her first trip. When the once-familiar place turned out to be foreign, the designer decided to return to the unchanging Balinese roots: nature, crafts and rituals. The KEMBALI collection features hand-carved jewelry with motifs of island flora and fauna, made by local carvers using traditional techniques. Nature and rituals are ubiquitous and inseparable in Bali. Vegetation plays an important role in the ceremonies that mark the rhythm of life on the island - it is the link between the tangible and the invisible; the everyday and the magical. Jewelry from the KEMBALI collection is meant to remind us that returning to nature should become our most important ritual.
Kembali
Fine asymmetrical earrings with decorative flowers from the Kembali collection
Long gold-plated necklace with snake-shaped pendant from the Kembali collection
Gold-plated chain necklace with a snake motif from the Kembali collection
Gold-plated chain bracelet with a snake motif from the Kembali collection
Long silver necklace with snake-shaped pendant from the Kembali collection
KEMBALI JEWELRY COLLECTION. BACK TO NATURE.
Kembali in Indonesian means return. The name of the collection encapsulates not only the name of the place where the hand-carved jewelry was created, but also refers to Anna Orska's return to the Asian island. After nearly eight years, the designer settled in Bali again, but the place turned out not to be the same. Much had changed - most of the workshops that had prospered during the first trip had disappeared. The artist designed the KEMBALI jewelry collection based on the unchanging, returning to Balinese roots: ritual, craftsmanship and nature.
KEMBALI JEWELRY COLLECTION: NATURE AND RITUALS
Bali has been called the island of flowers. The colorful, lush vegetation is part of the rituals that order the day, month, year and even the lives of the inhabitants. Nature and rituals are omnipresent in Bali, permeating the daily lives of the residents and serving as a link between the tangible and the invisible. They have also raised the question of the presence of rituals in our lives. Increasingly, seeking respite, we escape to nature. Nature calms and inspires, and is the best way to escape from the stress, rush and pollution of the city. The Kembali jewelry collection is meant to remind us that returning to nature should be our most important ritual.
KEMBALI JEWELRY COLLECTION: CRAFTSMANSHIP
Anna Orska enclosed motifs of the island's flora and fauna in jewelry forms. When designing the jewelry in the KEMBALI collection, she invited local masters to collaborate with her and used the craft of carving, which in Indonesia is passed down from generation to generation. Artisans create in wood, bone, mother-of-pearl and naturally shed deer antlers - materials that have been available here for centuries. Carving is a very traditional occupation that is not subject to the passage of time and has not changed for hundreds of years. The carved pieces are small works of art - each was created through an individual process, and took several hours to create. The pieces made their way from the Ubud area to ORSKA's workshop, where they were framed in snake-shaped silver and gold- plated settings.
MAIN MOTIFS IN THE KEMBALI JEWELRY COLLECTION
Flowers
The Kembali collection features jewelry with rose, chrysanthemum, lotus flower and hibiscus. All of these flowers overgrow the island, and adorn necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins and rings in the new jewelry designs. For the Balinese, flowers are a symbol of sincere prayer and devotion. They accompany them every day, as part of important daily rituals. They are an essential part of the Canang Sari, a Balinese thanksgiving ceremony in which each family member places his or her basket, hand-woven from palm leaves and filled with colorful flowers, in the home temple.
Hibiscus
The red hibiscus in Bali has a rich meaning. Delicate but showy, it blooms briefly, so it is sometimes a metaphor for feminine tenderness. As part of a religious ritual, it symbolizes purification of the soul and mind, as well as peace and balance. In Tari Baris, a traditional Balinese war dance, it is a symbol of courage that dancers use to adorn their ears. The color red is often associated with courage, but also love and passion. Among other reasons, in some cultures the hibiscus is a gift for a loved one and a companion to many wedding ceremonies. Hibiscus is the main decoration of delicate necklaces, but you will also find it in delicate post earrings and striking long earrings.
Snake
Ode, or snake, is a positive symbol in Bali. It is a metaphor for transformation, which is supposed to lead to improvement. It carries the message to let go of what no longer fits us and make room for the new. It is also a symbol of wisdom, immortality, energy and vitality. Although in the Christian religion it is associated with temptation, positive references can also be found in our culture - just think of the Aesculapius snake (symbol of doctors and apothecaries), which has been a symbol of revival of vitality and recovery since ancient Greek times. The snake adorns many of the jewelry designs in the Kembali collection and is its dominant motif. The snake motif can be found in both the short hibiscus necklace and dangle earrings with a lotus flower. The most impressive, however, will be the jewelry in which the snake is the only inspiration: silver rings with a snake that impressively wraps around the finger; gold-plated rings for two fingers or bracelets and necklaces made of rosewood.
Scarab
The scarab is commonly associated with ancient Egypt, but it also has symbolic significance in Hinduism, where it is seen as a symbol of life, transformation and spiritual development. It is associated with the sun and life energy - the scarab's painstaking work is equated with rolling the brightest star into the sky. The scarab carved in arang wood in the Kembali jewelry collection can be found in silver and gold-plated necklaces.