The Story of Viktoria Münzker
Could you tell me a little about yourself?
I fell in love with jewelry when I was about 10 years old. My mother's treasure box was full of costume jewelry that I tried on and examined every piece. I tried to fix some broken parts in my own way, modify them and make them wearable again. At that time, my first pieces were made, as I breathed new life into them. My interest in the material grew and I began to discover different ways to use it. I made jewelry out of almost everything I could find. The material changed in my hands, but the respect for nature and its forms was always there. From 2001 to 2007 I studied in the Department of Jewelry and Metal at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia, where I have also completed my Master of Arts. Since then, I've never stopped making jewelry. In 2011, I attended a short course about faceting gems, so that I could expand my possibilities and learn how to treat precious stones.
Can you walk us through the creation of one of your recent pieces, from inspiration to finished product?
The piece “Research station hovering above the ocean of Solaris” is an object with a removable brooch. The inspiration comes from the story presented in the novel Solaris from Stanisław Lem. The story takes place on board of a research station, sent to understand the extraterrestrial intelligence of the ocean. It describes something that is organic, but has no cells, organs or a nervous system. In my imagination, it is like Fata Morgana, shimmering on the horizon and changing colors and forms, creating visible, complex structures on the surface of the sea. The ocean interacts and plays with the station and the scientists, materializing their imagination. It creates visitors that come from their thoughts. It has the ability to control magnetic fields. What effects would it trigger in humans? This connection is only possible between the research station and the planet Solaris. It is an unique relationship that is beyond the boundaries of reality. These object and brooch are built and connected together as one, with the possibility to separate them (when the space station leaves the planet). I've chosen titanium, wood and abalone shell to express these connection between the Space station, this extraterestrial planet and a strange sea.
Who are some of your biggest artistic influences, and why?
I've always loved Art Nouveau artists like Rene Lalique, Fouquet, Alphonse Mucha and symbolism artists Gustav Moreau and Odilon Redon for their courageous work inspired by nature, beauty, life and death. The work of Chinese artist Wallace Chan blows me away with its colorful beauty and perfectionism each time I see it. Louise Bourgeois inspires me with her honesty and themes like family, the body, death and the unconscious.
How do you stay up-to-date on trends and new techniques in jewelry making?
As an artist, my mind is very curious. I question a lot of things like systems and techniques. I'm searching for the perfect materials to express my thoughts and emotions through jewelry. I follow my own rules, because they are simply more important for me than trends. My jewelry is very personal and I try to make every step by myself. That is also one of the reasons why I've begun to cut and facet gems by myself. I need to feel the material in my hands and to use my hands to shape and modify it.
Can you talk about a project or piece of jewelry that you are particularly proud of, and why?
Last year in December I’ve finished the piece “Lotos Resistentia”. This brooch is about the powerful inner beauty and strength of flowers, particularly the Lotus. At the same time, this strength symbolizes purity and harmony for me. This piece reflects the synergy between the hard manual work with intellectual and ephemeral quality. It took me half a year to create this brooch in my mind and one month to physically create it. Each part is hand cut out of titanium-steel, which is a very hard material. My fingertips were hurting and bleeding and there were days when I wanted to stop working on it. But I decided to finish it, no matter what. The glittering stone in the middle of the Lotus is a Beam Splitter Glass Cube which I have cut into Square Cushion Brilliant shape. Through its optical properties, it is used to split a single beam into multiple beams of light shining towards different directions. Therefore, it carries and shows us all the colors of the rainbow.
What have been some of the biggest milestones or accomplishments in your career so far?
I would say, the recognition of my work during various international exhibitions and through the awards it received worldwide. In 2012, I was awarded with the First Prize Jewelry Art Contest “Azur” at the IX. International Baltic Jewelry Show “Amber Trip”. That was in Vilnius, Lithuania for my piece “Brooch d’Azur”. Next year, in 2013, I was awarded during the Torre Fornello III Edizione Gioielli in Fermento, Italy the First Prize for my brooches “Spumante, Nero d’Avola and Vernaccia”. In 2016, I was awarded the First Prize at the Arts And Crafts Design Award which was organized from Croatia online for my pieces “Aeria Memoria”, “Cupido Minimus” and “Heliopora Coerulea''. In 2019, I took part in the Art Jewelry Night Budapest competition with my collier “Animal Instinct” and was awarded with the ArtMagazine Prize.
How do you incorporate sustainability and ethical considerations into your work as a jewelry artist?
My work is made of long lasting materials like titanium, which is one of the most eco-friendly materials in terms of environmental safety and sustainability. 90% of the gemstones that I use are cut in my studio. Driftwood is also present in my works, and it is a natural, Eco-friendly material. I also use recycled jewelry parts and put quality over quantity, to not produce an excessive amount of waste.
What are some of your favorite things to do or places to go for inspiration?
I find my inspiration in the natural environment. The perfection of nature’s forms and the beauty of the material challenge me. Long walks, discovering new places and first impressions fill my head with new ideas. The feeling, when I see something for the first time always sticks to my mind and inspires me for a very long time.
How do you approach the use of color in your designs? Are there any color palettes that you find particularly appealing or meaningful?
For me, to create jewelry, is to make the inner world visible. Color and its combinations have a very special meaning in my life. I’m often overwhelmed by the beauty and colors of the fauna and flora around me. There are endless possibilities and I love to experiment with new combinations. Bright colors play with our senses. I love to use complementary colors.
Can you share any upcoming projects or exhibitions where our readers can see your work?
There is an exhibition going on right now until November 5th, “DNA”, at Espace Solidor Museum in Cagnes Sur Mer, in France where I am showing my winning piece “Animal Instinct”. The next exhibition where I present and sell my works will be “On the move, Jewels” from 28.07.2023 until 28.08.2023 Galeria Luis Mendez in Salamanca/Spain, also this year Cosmos Lem Jewellery in Vienna/Austria (Date and place will be announced) and my solo exhibition in January 2024 in V&V Galerie Vienna/Austria.
Can you tell us about any significant mentors or influencers who have played a role in shaping your artistic journey?
My first mentors were my parents. Both of them, gifted with a great sense of art, supported me on an intellectual level and on my first steps towards finding my own way of creating art and jewelry with my hands. Later, when I attended the Academy of Fine arts and Design in Bratislava, Prof. Karol Weisslechner became my teacher who professionally guided my practical artistic development for 6 years.
How do you balance the demands of creativity with the commercial aspects of running a jewelry business?
I still learn and try to update my skills as an artist. Sometimes a commercial task or a job hides a new idea or the need for a new technique that can be revealed only by actually doing it. I use my creativity in everything I do, not only to make jewelry.
How do you personally connect with your designs? Is there a piece or collection that holds personal significance to you?
There is a part of me in every piece of jewelry I create, a part of my soul that I put into the work during the creative process. Now, when I look at some older pieces, I know exactly how I felt when I created them. Art is personal. For my final exam at the Academy I created a collection called Paradiso / Inferno with 9 colorful necklaces as Paradiso and 9 brooches with peel-off masks from my face as Inferno. This external cleansing process was projected on my inner self like a trip through the purgatory. At the end an amount of wafer-thin, transparent skins with my facial imprint remained. I have sewn these skins onto silver frames. In these skins my fears are caught and I could only defeat them, if they become jewelry. I believe that the fear thereby loses its strength and cannot harm me anymore. I have sewn the wounds but the scars have remained.
Are there any specific values or messages that you aim to communicate through your art jewelry?
Yes, there is a message. Be unique, be one of a kind and stay true to yourself. Cherish and protect the natural environment. Wear your true colors. Never give up on your dreams.
Lastly, what do you hope to achieve or contribute to the field of art jewelry with,through your designs?
I want to expand the field of art jewelry from the perspective of an artist, who’s creative expression inspires people and touches the soul in a way words cannot.