Modern jewelry must be bold and unique. Interview with Maja Tybel

Introduction

Can jewelry with amber be attractive to younger generations? Maja Tybel, renowned photographer and artistic director known for her innovative visual projects, in conversation with Beata Bochińska reveals the backstage of her work on the exhibition “Treasure Box of the Future”. Find out how the artist combines modern design with traditional material and what challenges she faced during this project.

Conversation

Beata Bochinska: First of all, tell us what your job is all about every day?

Maja Tibel: In a few words, the simplest thing to say is that I invent and create visual campaigns for brands and institutions. My work consists of many different activities. There are days when I mostly work on a concept while someone else is working on the photo plans. Other times I spend a few days creating the scenery for the campaign, and sometimes I just look for objects that tell visual stories or come to the set and take pictures. Every day is different and that's what I love most about my job.

B.B.: This year we had the opportunity to cooperate for the first time — you co-created multimedia elements in the exhibition of amber jewelry created by the Bochiński Foundation entitled “Treasure Box of the Future”. How did you get into our project and team?

INCL.: Konrad Kulczyński, a visual artist from Tri-City, invited me to the project. Our paths have already crossed several times thanks to other creators we have both collaborated with, but this is our first project together. And hopefully not the last. This project was innovative and interesting — no one had ever talked about amber.

B.B.: And how was the work on our project on your part?

INCL.: My role was mainly artistic direction and set design development. Although the author of the initial concept and basic assumptions of the film was Konrad, I supported him conceptually and productively.

I often cooperate with jewelry brands, which is why rather quickly elements of scenery or frames appeared in my head, thanks to which the jewelry could be properly exposed. My task was also to make sure that our concept was implemented according to her assumptions, i.e. the guidelines of the curator of the exhibition, because our actions are part of a larger project, that is, stories about amber, luxury and people who live today in the here and now. The theme of dance as a symbol of our life, who all dance, but everyone on their own note, perfectly reflects how different people we are, how differently we see the world and what is important to us. Amber in all this perfectly reflects the values that are important to us.

The implementation itself on the set went smoothly, albeit temporarily — it was quite a challenge, because we had only 2 shooting days to complete the entire material.

B.B.: What was your favorite moment of working on this project?

INCL.: My favorite episode on this set was when Magda from the Hertz Haus Theatre, in full style, stood in the studio on the greenscreen and started dancing. In an instant, all the people present at the production froze motionless, watching her magnetic plume. It was one of those moments where I feel incredible gratitude for the opportunity to work with other creators. Each of us brings something unique and this synergy creates additional quality — it brings me incredible satisfaction.

Of course, there were a lot of other great moments. Each of the creators did a great job - I am especially grateful to Ani (from the Hertz Haus Theater team) for agreeing to realize my vision and get into the water on this chilly day. Thanks to this, we have beautiful portraits in the sea with unique jewelry by Maciej Rozenberg.

B.B.: We know from research that the younger generation does not see amber as an attractive piece of jewelry. Why do you think?

INCL.: I think the problem here is the form in which amber in Poland is sold on a large scale. These are bracelets made of beads or large, embroidered with organic patterns, pendants - more associated with older people.

Until now, there were not so many brands that showed it in a modern, more interesting form. Fortunately, this is changing and brands such as ION Art or SOTE are being created that are aimed at younger consumers and respond to their contemporary aesthetic needs.

B.B.: How does the fashion industry see jewelry today? How do you choose jewelry for your looks?

INCL.: As in clothing, the Goblin Core trend is now also on top in jewelry. Young people have enough of idealized stylizations or artificial standards. They reach for things that are not obvious or those that may even seem ugly. Their purpose is not to decorate, but to draw attention, often to social issues.

When it comes to choosing jewelry for styling — it all depends on the brand and its image. I match jewelry and styles so that they work together and are suitable for a given audience. Each brand has its own visual key and the group for which it creates. I try to always take that into account.

For example, when I make material for a brand that sews kimono from silk and wool, I prefer to choose something minimalist, referring to Japanese aesthetics. On the other hand, when a design client for Generation Z comes to me — then we reach for bold, more extravagant solutions. This applies not only to the selection of jewelry and styling, but to the whole creative concept. I treat each project individually.

B.B.: How has the role of jewelry changed — is it still a sign of prestige or does it have other connotations?

INCL.: Certainly, in part, this is still the case. However, it seems to me that today more people can afford jewelry made of gold and silver or with precious stones, so its role as a sign of prestige has become less relevant. It is no longer enough to produce and deposit large stones. Young people want their jewelry to be bold, surprising and unique. For her to say more than just that she's exclusive. Now it serves more as a sign of belonging to a particular group with which we identify.

B.B.: In the multimedia layer of the exhibition created by you and Konrad, four persons representing four social groups were created. Which of our characters would you identify with the fastest? Could the jewelry we have chosen for her be interesting for you as a symbol, emblem or ornament?

INCL.: It's hard to say. In each of these characters, I find something of myself. Personally, I wear rather minimalist jewelry, so I would go for the look of a power girl (wearing an ION necklace or earrings) or a surfer (wearing earrings made of beautiful, extremely rare, white amber).

B.B.: Tell us what you think about the “Capsule of the Future” project and the initiative “Gdansk — the World Capital of Amber”?

INCL.: The promotion of modern amber jewelry as a symbol of Gdańsk is a beautiful initiative. It is the raw material that sets us apart in the world, and good designs are something we should be proud of. I would be very happy if we could change the world's view of amber and its potential with a project in which I participated at least a little.

Illustrations:

Photos by Mai Tybel.

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