ANNA ORSKA

jewelry designer, lover of the city two-wheeler, and travel enthusiast - both distant and not far away. Art and design have been present in her life since childhood. A central element of her early collection was made from decorative ornaments and items from her family home. That is how she discovered her love for upcycling which was used by her to create jewelry for the first time in Poland. Giving the objects a second life and putting them in a completely new context has become one of the hallmarks of the ORSKA brand which was established by Anna to specialize in artistic jewelry. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań, habilitated doctor of fine arts, author of thousands of jewelry designs and small art forms. She does not follow the trends and creates timeless one-of-a-kind objects.

In search of inspiration, she explores the forests and meadows, simultaneously immersing herself in the meanders of the insect micro-universe. She studies the everyday surroundings and uses common objects to create small art forms. Among many extraordinary designs, she has created jewelry from thousand-year-old oak wood from the settlement of Mieszko I, parts of cars and computers, mechanisms of pre-war watches, old sailing ropes and fragments of meteorites.

CRAFTS OF THE WORLD

Once a year, Ania goes on a journey in search of rare, often forgotten crafts and unique materials. From each trip she brings back amazing stories of the people and places where she had created. In the Peruvian Andes, Lucio and his wife Rosa helped her overcome the weakness of mountain sickness. Gabriel and Fransisca in Mexico patiently taught her how to cut copal wood and made sure that she did not hurt herself using a machete for the first time in her life. And the Nepalese master Ramesh took her to his workshop and showed her craftsmanship, although in his culture it is a job that a woman is not allowed to do.

The designer spends every possible moment designing and creating in the workshop. Manual work is her form of meditation. She works on many projects at the same time, but not all of them will see the daylight. Some will stay forsaken for months before she returns to them, and some may never have a premiere.

Ania is a fan of splendid jewelry forms. Her wrists are always decorated with wide bracelets from the Moon and Machiny collections, contrasting with more subtle pieces. She also likes to play with necklaces – combining long bold chains with shorter and smaller necklaces to create original compositions. A mix of styles, materials and colors allows her to express herself.