Recently I had a pleasure of taking part in an amazing project called „Cabinet of curiosities”, started and organized by Marta Norenberg. Marta invited twelve fantastic Polish jewellery makers and asked them to let their imagination run wild, forget about the working time, forget about cost of materials and make something they always wanted to make.

It could be something super time consuming, something „too weird”, something challenging, maybe something coming straight from their heart – something we always wanted to make, but never had time or courage. The concept was fantastic – this wonderful feeling of creative freedom is, after all, one of the reasons we chose this career.

In my case the choice was easy. For a few years I've been thinking about a pendant focusing on Baba Yaga. I felt drawn to this character for quite some time. I read Slavic studies books on the subject, countless fairytales, studied referrences to Baba Yaga in sayings and rediscovered amazing childhood memories. I was fascinated by Baba Yaga's mutidimensionality and ambiguity. I had a really strong convition that Baba Yaga had to manifest in a physical way in my life. I felt I approached a moment of transgressing to a new chapter, in my life – in a very broad sense – and motif of transgression or symbolic initiation is a recurring theme in Baba Yaga tales.

It's not without a reason that „Baba Yaga” is one od the first pieces which mark a division of my work into, known to those following my jewellery creations, Drakonaria brand, and the new, author's website annamazon.com. The process of making this piece was my little, personal rite of passage.

Ultimately twelve jewellery makers took part in the „Cabinet of curiosites” project. It was a fantastic experience to get to know them and their approach to creating. Marta gathered a really diverse group, working in many different techniques, presenting different views on aestethics, creative process and the life itself.

The project resulted in creation of an amazing calendar for 2021, featuring works of those 12, talented, Polish jewellery makers. „Baba Yaga” , naturally, graces October's page. If you would like to get a copy of this calendar you can follow me on my Facebook and Instagram (there will be a few chances to win a copy). You can also buy one here (only two copies available).

This is the list of those beautiful, creative people whom I had a pleasure to meet through „Cabinet of curiosities”:

Anna Betley
Anna and Witold Chudzik
Agnieszka Działo-Jabłońska
Iwona Tamborska
Alicja Brewińska
Patrycja Mordalska
Magdalena Maślerz
Kornelia Sus
Ewa Z. Sleziona
Marta Norenberg

You can find their creations on their websites. Really worth seeing!