ABOUT HER

Elvira was born in Ukraine. At the age of seven, her life entirely changed when she immigrated from Ukraine to Slovakia together with her parents. That was the beginning of a long journey. She became a citizen of the world as she adopted influences from different cultures. As an only child, she began to draw at a very early age. Immersed in the richness of fantasy stories, she was fascinated by imaginary worlds and dreamed of sea voyages, discovering lost islands, and wildlife in the forests. Encouraged by her mother (a ceramist) and her father (a painter), Elvira pursued a higher education in fine arts. She studied in the Ceramics Department at the School of Applied Arts and then obtained a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Jewellery Design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia.

With growing attraction to the magical world of gemstones, Elvira moved to Idar-Oberstein, Germany, a town with a long history of stone cutting. She devoted her master’s studies to creating gemstone jewellery at the University of Applied Arts and graduated in 2015 with a series of hand carved amulets from various precious stones. Her collection “Forgotten Worlds” has been displayed in numerous exhibitions and featured in several publications.

In 2015, full of inspiration and desire to transform her visions into wearable pieces of jewellery, Elvira, together with her partner Hector Lasso, launched the jewellery brand ORAÏK / www.oraik.eu /.
She is currently based on Balearic Spanish islands between Ibiza and Mallorca.

STATEMENT

“My method of work is a conscious exploration of the unconscious. I enter in a trance-like state to allow intense, personal symbols and obscure imaginary to emerge. I exclude rational processes as much as I can. The rules of continuity dissolve into the activity itself. Thus, I discover an extended image of reality, reality which exceeds intellectual understanding. I use myself as a subject of study but I believe it can go over my singularity as an individual. Through this research, I aim to come into contact with archetypes that are common to all of us, not only as a part of mankind but as a living being in general. In the series of objects and drawings are depicted symbols of personal mythology, my unique versions of gods, totemic figures, demons and fantastic creatures. I follow the ancient belief in objects endowed with magical powers. I create a ring or an object as an amulet, a companion that empowers and supports the wearer.”