Voo Visits with Nike: Kiala Kanzi

Voo Store: How do you incorporate symbolism into your jewellery, and what key themes or messages are important to you in your designs?

Kiala Kanzi: I use jewellery as a platform to express, describe, and critique things, much like in fashion and art. I think symbolism is something that gives the jewellery a soul that makes you connect with it on a deeper level. I believe that jewellery is not just here to adorn, I see it as a vessel which collects and also shares energy. Special moments are often marked with a jewel, and I think a lot of times the messages gets formed through the wearer. Every piece of the collection that you can find online, has a poem or affirmation, philosophising about the little learnings of life — so you carry them with you as a sweet reminder.

V: Do clients come to you for your specific style, or do they have particular ideas in mind? How involved are you in the process?

K: I’m quite involved now, and I think my job is to open doors. I always ask about symbols, lucky numbers or favorite colours. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I believe your energy attracts similar energy. Most people who come to me are genuinely looking for something deeper in their jewellery. And of course, people also come to me because of my style. They appreciate the somewhat rough, organic, and natural elements I incorporate into my work. But even with a bit more classic designs wedding bands and engagement rings for example, we often manage to add a personal touch that is unique to that one piece.

V: Speaking of materials, do you have a favourite stone or material that you enjoy working with?

K: I love metal, that was my first love, I always say this material suits me very well, it seems so sturdy but actually is so soft and moldable. It gives a spontaneity that I enjoy a lot! But also stones are so beautiful, every single one from a diamond to a rose quarz has certain properties — you can believe in them or not. I do. I feel like the stones are choosing you not you the stones. I’m always quite overwhelmed when I go to a gem dealer tho. You walk into a room full of beautiful stones and think, “Okay, what calls me today?” And they all whisper “me!”

V: It sounds like you also have a passion for collecting. How does it shape your work?

K: I’ve always had a thing for small items and have collected bits and pieces everywhere, from little pieces of nature to playing cards I randomly find on the ground. My work is very much based on intuition. When I design my I start with one thing and it leads me to the other and once in a while I open my little treasure box pick out some of my collected stones and go with the flow. I also upcycle pieces how many people keep the family jewelry somewhere in a box because they love their granny but not so much her style ;) so we take the pieces apart and melt them together into something new, that you can wear with you every day. That probably is the most beautiful thing about metal it’s and endless melting cycle.

V: Has your style been influenced by your time working in Barcelona?

K: When I first started, my work was very geometric. I was into engineering. It was quite different from what I do now. I had a series where you could combine various geometric pieces into one for example. But it was all very clean, not as raw as my current work. When I did a workshop at school on traditional casting techniques, I fell in love with it immediately. That’s how my first collection came about—all those rings with unique textures, which mostly happened by mistake or in fact are mistakes but I loved those imperfections.

I think with the years I got closer to who i am as a person and artist, and found my very own way of creating my designs. I think what was the most important “influence” working in Barcelona is that I had a mentor who at times believed in me more than I did.

V: What is your favourite aspect in creating jewellery?

K: It gives me a sense of spontaneity. It’s really special to handle those moments where the outcome is uncertain. Sometimes the metal behaves differently than expected. It doesn’t always turn out as you imagined, but it can be even more beautiful than you thought. You have to see the potential. It’s about knowing when to stop and when to push a bit more. Finding that balance is crucial.
There’s a special feeling when creating something that feels just right. Not every piece gives me that feeling, but when it does, others can feel it too. For instance, the bestseller at Gemz is this little figure climbing up a braid. I had the idea, thought it would be fun, and had such a good feeling about it that I went ahead with it. I knew it was right, and now it’s our bestseller.

V: ’Pushing a bit more’—what does that mean to you?

K: It might mean setting it aside, asking a friend, remelting it, hitting it, adding or removing something. You have all the options; everything is possible. Making all those decisions is quite fun.