Proving her ‘metal’

Designer Advaeita Mathur, a history graduate, later studied fashion designing. But, jewellery and product designing happened as part of experiential learning. Today, she has come a long way, with her own line of jewellery and home décor products, her brand Studio Metallurgy speaks volumes about designs and products that celebrate individuality.

Advaeita enjoys using materials that are usually not experimented with — think aluminum, brass, industrial raw material, metals and scrap. Her work process is quite like that of an artist, she explains. “Just like an artist picks up a palette and starts painting, my ideas are very spur-of-the-moment. I don’t really look out to create a particular product. So when I look at a screw, I will probably think about how I could make it into a piece of jewellery.” 

Casting metals on wood, from The Molten Woods series, was one such idea. “I thought molten metal can burn the wood, but I kept wondering if there is a way to bring the two together. A lot of my products are a result of experimentation and I have failed experiments as well. I want the final product to look aesthetically sound and sturdy,” observes Advaeita, who is inspired by the Minimalist Contemporary Movement. 

A jewellery item made using scrapped metals

Her favourite metal to use remains brass, a medium she worked with in her earlier products. “I find brass beautiful as it shines like liquid gold when polished and ages gracefully into a dull patina over time,” she adds.

The 27-year-old is currently working on the Molten Wood series. From looking for good quality wood from the Himachal region to searching industrial products in a factory in the outskirts of Delhi, Advaeita sources raw material by taking personal tours.  Additionally, she is committed to creating products using sustainable methods, and leaving minimal carbon footprints.

“Isn’t this what we were taught in school — to do our bit for the environment and recycle things?” she asks, adding, “Using sustainable methods is something that comes automatically to me. I refurbish old musical instruments to convert them into collectibles and functional objects or recast waste metals for the very same reason. At least I am not generating an excess of anything.”

Art decor items from the Molten Woods Project

One of her early series, Concrete Jewellery, was inspired by the rapid construction happening in National Capital Region (NCR). “As an artist, I observed my environment and I believe that every design must have some element of theory. So, just like how architectural structures make use of cement, wire mesh and steel, I wanted to use the same materials to create jewellery,” she explains. 

Before this, the artist aimed to be a fashion designer and even worked for Tarun Tahiliani for over four years. But today, she believes design is the key word and not genres. “A good designer understands balance and aesthetics. Tomorrow, I might do glass work,” she concludes.