Nenad Stojaković

Studio Manufactura

Jewellery maker

Branko Starcevic ©Michelangelo Foundation

©Bojan Dzodan

Molecular jewellery

Nenad approaches jewellery with a scientific mind
He has made filigree exciting
He creates wearable sculptures

The story of the jeweller Nenad Stojaković is not a usual one. A creator from a very early age, he embarked on scientific studies in molecular biology. Enchanted with nuclear shapes, micro animals, and atomic bonds, he wanted to transfer them into his passion: jewellery making. Eventually, the hobby prevailed and Nenad got a scholarship for Accademia Riaci in Florence to study jewellery design. In 2010, he opened his own workshop and started to develop his unique design. Inspired by molecular formations, but also by the monumental memorial heritage of Yugoslavia, Nenad treats his rings as wearable sculptures. He continues to explore the craft and discover new and old techniques as he continues to meditate on his creative visions expressed in minuscule 3D garments.

Interview

Branko Starcevic ©Michelangelo Foundation

Branko Starcevic ©Michelangelo Foundation

When did you first start expressing your creativity?: I started at a very early age, in primary school. I was always making something: tiny sculptures, pearl trinkets, switching to my first pewter jewellery in high school. I wanted to explore the possibilities of different materials, and metal is what I found the most inspirational, the most potent.
How much tradition is there in your creations?: I like to employ old skills in my innovative designs. Some of my works are inspired by postwar monuments of old Yugoslavia. The works by sculptors such as Dušan Džamonja and Miodrag Živković I admire the most – I love the hidden narratives within the abstraction. But then, I also like to use filigree, a really traditional technique.
Was there a eureka moment in your professional life?: Yes, the discovery of filigree! I was never interested in traditional jewellery, and I had considered filigree a generally boring technique. But when I got into it, I realised that it can also be exciting. I use it to make the craziest designs now, and at the time it surprised me and made me step forward. Two of my pieces will be featured in a book “Contemporary filigree".
How did you master filigree?: Along with classical silversmithing techniques, I invented some of my own. But I learned filigree from North Macedonian masters. We exchanged experiences and I travelled there to study. I use it to make rings, my specialty, and I always combine it with other techniques, adding to my own contemporary designs.

Nenad Stojaković is a master artisan: he began his career in 2010 and he started teaching in 2013