Congratulations on your award. That was the longest laudation I have heard in this competition....
Miron Kutarba: I am very happy to receive this award. It is an important step towards my goal of fulfilling my own dreams of 3D design - a design limited only by my imagination. It makes me happy to know that I am able to make anything I can think of - first in the computer, then in metal. My inspiration is usually contemporary architecture - in the case of this ring, it was Chinese architecture. Hence its name: Beijing.
This is not your first prize - not in this competition or in any competition at all.
Miron Kutarba: The vast majority of my work and all my awards to date have been with amber. I have been involved with this stone for 15 years and have invariably found it wildly inspiring: especially its forms and colours. And as it is also a graceful material, it has „repaid” me with several awards: Mercurius Gedanensis 2016 - Grand Prix in the design category, Amberif Design Award - accolades in 2017, 2014 and 2013, and publication of work in the catalogue in 2010, 2017, 2015. Of particular importance to me is the platinum award for taking 1st place in the Solidscape Design competition at Baselworld 2016 - also, of course, for my amber rings. This is our first joint award with A2 Jewellery Studio in a collaboration that has lasted for two years.
How is this cooperation working out?
Miron Kutarba: We met at a very good time for both parties: modern technology combined with good ideas offers almost unlimited possibilities to create new, interesting, inspiring and good quality jewellery. Working in a team gives me more satisfaction than working alone.
Ryszard Węsierski: Each person brings not only skills but also their own sensibilities and individual insights to the team, thus influencing the final product and even the direction of the company. The styling of Miron's jewellery immediately appealed to me - its geometric yet fine lines play very well with our existing aesthetic, and his technological skills and talent complement the company's vision. With new digital technologies, we can achieve forms that are impossible to achieve with handwork alone. So together we can do more.
The effects could be seen at the recent Ambermart trade fair, where you showed the impressive results of your cooperation to date.
Ryszard Węsierski: We are working together on a new jewellery collection, lighter not only visually, which can be put into mass production, but at the same time retain its unique character. We have been persuaded to go in this direction for a long time by Ewa Rachoń, the director of Amberif and Ambermart, but it is only now that we have plucked up the courage and, on the occasion of our 20th anniversary this year, we have decided to change something and take this risk. We presented single pieces announcing the jewellery collection at Ambermart to test the reactions of customers. The reviews were positive, so I can officially announce the premiere of the entire collection at Amberif 2018. As well as a new direction for A2 Studio Jewellery: our aim is to design and manufacture gold jewellery with amber from the highest jewellery shelf, which will be able to compete with the world's leading brands in this segment. In doing so, we want not only to consciously build the brand but also to raise the prestige of amber.
Will the company's existing commercial policy change as a result?
For the moment, we are not planning any major changes. We will continue to exhibit at our most important fairs: Amberif and Ambermart, through which we acquire a sufficient number of customers and orders. We did not and do not feel the need to exhibit at fairs in Asia, because - at least according to our observations - the buyers there appreciate European design bought in Europe. We believe that they will like our new collections, but we also have no illusions that the audience for this type of jewellery is limited. But that is enough for us: we want to remain a small family business where jewellery is created with passion.