Jewelry designer finds Indo-Persian architectural motifs as a means to spark creativity
Inspired by Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural motifs, especially Mihrabs and Jharokas, designer Swapna Mehta creates Ayşe necklace and ear pieces combining tribal and filigree jewellery components from different parts of India.
Having immense respect for artists, tribal and rural weavers and artisans, her creative inspiration for artisan jewellery stems from the works of renowned architects across the world like Geoffrey Bawa, Le Corbusier and Zaha Hadid.
Her creative journey began with a chance meeting with a Sri Lankan architect named C Anjalendran. She took a three-year apprenticeship under him and started crafting Sri Lankan artworks for private residences.
Her craft jewellery manifests a glamour that casts a irresistible spell when art deco Victorian ornaments and elements from South Indian jewellery meet the crafts of Kutch, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Currently she is in awe of Aati, the semicircular pin that Konkan women affix to their hair buns.
The process involved stitching the pieces together with thread, followed by work of deft hands of the karigars and goldsmiths who replicate the same flow with gold wire.
A single jhumka, a few pieces from an old necklace, nose rings, some South nakshi jada pieces and lots of pieces from South India are a few of the ingredients that Swapna throws into the mix to curate a beautiful necklace!
To craft her jewellery, Swapan sources her pieces from all over the country and from various ethnicities and tribes as each piece has a story to tell.
These might be created out of some of the most traditional individual pieces of great craftsmanship, yet they fit into and belong comfortably to a modern landscape.
She debuted at Bungalow 8 in 2019 where she showcased herself at Elan in Ahmedabad once a year. “This June, I had a show at London’s famed Francesca Galloway gallery, which is a pioneer in Indian and Islamic art.
