Featured Artist: Steffi Kalina

Steffi Kalina is a talented Austrian jeweller based in Vienna. We first discovered her work when researching artists to invite for participation in our 'Baked Not Fried' exhibition in 2008. We fell in love with her finely crafted and very beautiful enamelled flower pieces. Currently Steffi is represented exclusively in Australia by Pieces of Eight. We asked her a few questions about her work and had her send some images of her studio for our blog. We hope you enjoy this insight into her practice.



1. What attracts you to enamelling?

Once you've studied and worked with the material a lot and get to know its properties well, its melting point and how it reacts, enamelling can be very relaxing work. You always follow the same steps; scrupulously cleaning the copper, applying the enamel powder, drying (I always use an old hair dryer), and finally tempering the metal. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the material changes and how the colours slowly appear.


2. What is the status of enamelling in contemporary jewellery practice, particularly in Europe?

It seems as though old techniques such as enamelling have gained in importance over the last years. I think that nowadays, when time is our most precious commodity, anything handmade is becoming more and more of a luxury. This is especially the case with enamelling, a process that requires a lot of time and skill.


3. If possible, can you discuss some of the ways in which your contemporaries employ enamel in their work?

Apart from my good friend Tabea Reulecke, whom you have already presented in the enamel exhibition [Baked not Fried], another artist and friend of mine, Danni Schwaag, also works with enamel a lot (www.dannischwaag.de). Hers is a very different, part experimental, part conceptual approach to the material, using techniques such as oxidation (when the white enamel turns green). Her necklaces and brooches of ivory-coloured enamel and mother-of-pearl are particularly beautiful.


4. Does your use of the floral motif relate to a history of flower details traditionally used by enamellists?

No, not really. When I created my first enamelled flower (a cherry blossom), I started out with the original in mind and abstracted the form slightly to make it work for me. Actually my inspiration is hardly ever an existing piece of jewellery but mostly comes from nature. When making a snowdrop for example, I first dissected and measured the real flower and then tried to make a metal piece of jewellery using its characteristics.


5. What is the significance of colour in your work?

Colour is a very important element in my work, especially in my floral jewellery. Though I have tried making the flowers out of pure silver without enamelling them, the result was disappointing, bland and banal. It is the colours and their combinations that bring my flowers to life.