When we first encountered Angelos Konstantakatos at Athens Jewelry Week. We were immediately captivated by his brooches crafted from mushrooms. His unique and mysterious technique left us in awe, and we have been following his journey in art jewelry ever since.

At the inaugural JELO6 Project founded by Niki Stylianou in Athens, Angelos’s new brooches evolved into a cohesive and unified collection, transitioning from a natural mushroom aesthetic to a more abstract and minimalist narative. Join us as we delve into the world of Angelos and discover the inspiration behind his transformative and beautiful creations.

Angelos was awarded the AUTOR AWESOME AWARD at AUTOR 2024 and is Focus Artist at the 22nd edition of the AUTOR fair.

 

1. Congratulations on receiving the AUTOR AWARD in the JELO6 project! Can you share with us your initial reaction upon learning about this prestigious recognition?

When I heard the announcement I was surprised because I did not expect it. In JELO6 I took part as a member of a group that had in common the approach to creating a piece of jewel through materiality. The jewels I had on display were more of a group of jewels that shared the management of the main material, rather than a collection of jewelry that has a specific theme or story to tell. So I didn’t expect at all that they could be nominated for an award.

2. Being an architect as your main profession, how would you describe your journey into the world of jewelry?

I worked for almost 30 years designing and constructing shops and houses. At the same time, having DIY as a hobby, I was mainly fixing everything needing repair in a house and restoring old tools of my tool collection. When I fixed everything around me, I understood that I had to start creating something, anything, just because…
Crafting for me was an inner need…

At that time, a friend taught me how to make handmade knives. Soon, I needed a special silver soldering technique so I went to a contemporary jewelry seminar to learn it. There, I found a world I didn’t know I was searching for… Guided by random paths of fate, here I am!

3. What inspired you to explore unconventional materials and techniques in your jewelry collections?

Two main reasons lead me to explore matter.

The first is that I believe that a piece of jewelry should be as unique as the person who wears it. So if a piece of jewelry is made from a material that is not easily tamed to change its primary role and turn into a jewel, it immediately has uniqueness. The second reason is that I am very curious and at the same time I get bored easily.
This leads me to want to understand what exactly happens to a material if you treat it by thinking outside the box and how many different results I can get.

My thinking on this is very complex and I could write a whole book about it. But it summarizes to the fact that I am fascinated not when I just create, but when I discover and create.

4. Your jewelry pieces often reflect a sense of playfulness, freedom, and innovation. What drives you to push boundaries and challenge traditional notions of jewelry today?

Yes, you are correct! Playfulness, because I believe humor and imagination are important measures of intelligence. If someone understands your humor, there is a big chance that he-she can understand you as a personality and why you do what you do.

Freedom, because I think jewelry as I see it, is the only field I can do whatever I feel, like, want, imagine, test, explore, dear to do. Innovation, because more than other people, I get easily bored when I see something repeated by many, again and again. There are so many possibilities out there that it would be a pity to spend your energy in doing the same thing repeatedly.

5. Can you share some insights into your creative process and how you maintain creative flow?

One thing I do that is not so common is that I keep notes of everything, but never read them. This way, when I try to repeat a procedure I did a year ago, I may forget a step or two, perhaps alter a dosage or curing time in a mixture. There you have new results, for better or worse. Either way to me is not a failure, but knowledge to use in another situation. Only then I may read my notes – or not – depending on how much I want to repeat last year’s process.

6. What role does nature play in influencing your creations, and how do you incorporate natural elements into your jewelry?

Nature is an endless source of inspiration for me. I admire its organic forms, textures, shadows, materials. I borrow its elements, trying to involve them in shapes and ideas from my imagination. The concept of transformation, change of use – function or identity plays an important role in my thinking and creative process. I have tested many nature elements in my 12 years journey in organic materials. There are very few that can be treated suitably for transforming in what you need in a jewel. I am constantly experimenting and improving / modifying methodologies and techniques (original and conventional), creating jewelry beyond the obvious.

7. As an artist, what you hope people take away from interacting with your jewelry?

When I work in my workshop, I usually don’t have a specific goal. I don’t craft because I have an order to complete or a deadline to catch. I just want to create, to explore, to ease my mind and soul. I want my love for crafting to come out as
perfection of technique in my jewels. When I say perfection, I mean “as good as it gets” due to material distinctiveness. The back of a piece is as important as the front. That is something that anyone can see. You just have to turn it over. But, I do the same thing with the interior of the jewel, something that no one can see except me.

I hope that people can understand the love and energy spend on each jewel and then try to feel it in them. Energy is conserved and love is the driving force for everything.

8. Participating in the next AUTOR fair as an awarded artist is a significant achievement. What are your hopes and expectations for this experience?

Even the simple participation in AUTOR I think is important for an artist, because her-his work should meet some high standards. How much significant to participate as an award-winning artist! For me this is the first time I am in contact with the AUTOR audience and I am looking forward to getting to know them and exchange opinions. I hope to gain valuable experiences, acquaintances and knowledge from this fair.

9. What advice would you give to aspiring jewelry designers who are looking to carve their own path in the contemporary jewelry field?

Clarify your goal in your mind. Not looking at next year, but where you want to be 15 years from now. Your goal should be a little higher than a realistic one. From a technical point of view, I would suggest that you take tutorials on as many
techniques as you can, even if they don’t seem 100% relevant to what you are doing.

A discovery, an idea, your personal style will reveal suddenly, from where you least expect it. Keep in mind that as long as you do what you do well, you will never do anything great! You should fail 10 times more than you will succeed.

Interview by Vlad Lixandru for AUTOR Magazine.