A SHOW OF STRENGTH

Strong and Precious has assembled ‘ How Precious UA’, a one- off collection highlighting the works of five Ukrainian jewellery brands: NOMIS, Inesa Kovalova, Drutis Jewellery, Guni Project, and Yuval’ Studios. ( The Foundation is also represented in the showcase.)

‘ How Precious UA’ promotes the idea of jewellery as a pivotal facet of global culture, akin to other arts, Olga says. “I aspire to position the creations of Ukrainian designers as art objects – exclusive and somewhat elusive.” It also emphasises the inherent diversity of Ukrainian culture and talents, which guided the selection of participating brands.

The project captures symbols of the modern Ukraine in jewelry. “I believe they executed this task flawlessly. We saw our roots and heritage in the Trypillia necklace and elements that form the backbone of our country's economy in pieces like the ‘ Kolosinnia’ necklace. The intellectual capacity of our nation was embodied in the Nomis necklace, where the word ' freedom' is encrypted in binary code – the language of programmers, a field in which our country excels. We also glimpsed the strength of our ties and attachment to our homeland in the Link brooch. Truly, the symbols and meanings are abundant, and I could speak on this issue for hours.”

‘ How Precious UA’ provides an impetus for brand development. The pieces assembled for this project was funded entirely by the Foundation, ensuring the brands’ freedom in conceptualising, applying techniques, and selecting materials. Some participants worked with precious materials for the time, which marked their professional and creative growth. Each piece in the collection is unique and will not be replicated in the form presented at the exhibition.