When the natural elements interwine with modernity: Artūras Davainis presents amber for a modern man

● 76 BALTIC JEWELLERY NEWS 42–2022

When the natural elements intertwine with modernity: ARTŪRAS DAVAINIS PRESENTS AMBER FOR A MODERN MAN

Interview with Artūras Davainis

Artūras Davainis is a professional jeweller who resurrects amber to a new, modern life, where there intertwine natural elements and natural wonders dating back even millions of years. The jeweller got acquainted with amber for the first time as a child, in the workshop of his father Šarūnas Davainis. Then he was mostly impressed by and liked the smell of amber that is emitted during its processing. At the age of about 26, Davainis got to work with amber more professionally – he was invited to work in the company UAB Amber founded by his father. Having started from such works as amber sorting by colour, he soon was creating jewellery with amber himself. Davainis is also one of the pioneers in the production of mini sculptures in Lithuania. After trying many different techniques, he managed to make amber ships of 1 meter and longer, amber cars, motorcycles, helicopters, and even a lunar rover. Among the jeweller’s clients are several ex-prime ministers of Lithuania, a former president, leaders of foreign countries, representatives of culture, etc.

Artūras, why have you chosen amber?

I would compare amber to a woman, maybe that is why it is so attractive. Amber requires gentle handling and touch, attention, patience and, of course, love – you have to feel it. You cannot always make what you intend or imagine of it – sometimes it dictates the rules to you, just like a woman (smiles). And it also has a very mild and special smell.

That is why my greatest inspiration and muse is my lifelong friend, my wife, who often also advises me on some issues. After all, sometimes you need not only to rely on your own opinion, but also to rely on female logic (smiles).

What other materials do you choose for jewellery?

Over time, I developed the need to highlight amber even more, which led to new forms and combinations. This is how I started to use black oak in my jewellery, which was the closest material to amber because it came from resin of the tree. Also, its life process is very similar to that of amber – oak lay and matured in water, in swamps from 500 to 7000 years (that is the oak what I worked with).

Although, according to science, the age of Baltic amber is over 50 million years, I think that these two materials are related, especially since oak also grew and matured in Lithuania.

After some time, my products started to be copied a lot, using wood that is completely distant in colour or painted. I felt that it was already time to make something new. This is how a new material appeared in my work, in particular, elk, roe-deer or deer horns.

Again, all this comes from nature and Lithuanian forests. The horns I use have also been dealt with by nature before, as they often lie in the woods for years, exposed to rain and sun.

In your hands, amber is reborn completely different. How did you come up with the idea of choosing a different approach?

I have always wanted to change the attitude of Lithuanians (and not only of them) to amber, to show that it can be modern and surprising with its beauty. I think I managed to do it (smiles). At the same time, everything I do is a merit of God as the materials are already created by nature, and I just try not to spoil them, to put one particle with another, to reveal their natural beauty.

My latest collection, which is currently exhibited with the works of other famous artists in different places of Lithuania (National Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis School of Art, Zanavykai Museum, etc.), is called “Heritage”. These are works based on Lithuanianness: ancient blacksmith’s hammer nails that have also survived the exposure to water for hundreds of years, black oak, and, of course, amber.

How long does it take you to create one piece of jewellery?

Sometimes the creation of a piece can take several years, months or weeks. Sometimes I make a piece in half an hour or less, but it takes 30 years of practice to create it in such a short time. It also depends a lot on inspiration, mood and, of course, what exactly you are doing at that moment. That period of time can be quite long, it is also called creative suffering. When inspiration strikes, things happen quickly.

After all, no one count times when creating. There was even a case when on my birthday I asked my wife what day of the month it was because that was the moment when I did not count days or hours.

What trends do you see in amber jewellery today? Do you follow them yourself?

It is difficult to talk about today’s trends. Maybe there prevail smaller, minimalist products. I myself prefer them bigger... Anyway, a bigger piece is always more modern, makes a bigger impression with its shape, age, impresses as a heritage (smiles).

My works change as time goes by – their shapes and dimensions are different, they increase in size. There is an increasing demand for massive and exclusive jewellery. The bigger the piece of jewellery, the more you can see something wonderful and magical in it, especially in amber, because all its history and beauty are revealed.

My customers grow together with me and even those who thought my jewellery was too big when I first started are now happy to buy pieces from new collections. I have heard feedback from several of my customers that my jewellery becomes a talisman, and brings good luck (smiles).

I think it is because of the fact that each piece of jewellery is made with love, every curve is thought through, and I stroke the pieces countless times until they are finished. This is especially true for jewellery that is made individually. When creating them, I try to get a product that would not only suit the future owner in its appearance, but would also reveal their character.

What do we, as people not working with amber, not know about it? What still surprises you after all this time?

I love working with amber because I feel it. However, there are also difficulties with it, especially now that the war is going on. For example, you cannot go to the store and just buy raw materials. It is possible that at that moment you cannot simply find the kind of piece of amber that is needed to produce the piece of jewellery you have come up with. However, when I, being angry, try to replace amber with another material, somehow that anger quickly goes away... Apparently, this is love (smiles).

Also, the desire to own and buy as much amber as possible, to feel every piece does not go away because it will always surprise you with something. I do not even know how many tonnes of amber have already passed through my hands.

What kind of amber do you think Lithuanians like the most?

Lithuanians like white amber the most, which is also called “royal”. Lithuanians like it probably because they do like everything that contains the word “royal” – royal ice cream, royal cheese, etc. (laughs). There are indeed very beautiful pieces of white amber, but the way the sun plays and reflects on the clear amber, the way the sun seems to be trapped in that piece – it is just a miracle, and you will not see this miracle in white amber. I could not even say which amber I like more... I think that probably clear amber, a sunstone (smiles).