TATJANA PANYOCZKI

18K Gold Rings

The scenic town of Zermatt is a popular locale in Switzerland as it is the “starting point for hiking in the Swiss mountains.”  

A virtual winter wonderland, Zermatt has four skiing zones that can be accessed by cable cars.

The cable ride shows off the pollution-free backdrop of the famous Matterhorn peak.  Switzerland is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Tatjana Panyoczki.

It seems that some high-profile, independent jewelry brands are on a quest to rigidly follow trends.  There are times when the wares of one independent mimic the wares of another.  For these brands it would seem that commerce trumps art to the point of creative stagnation.

For independent jewelry designers like Panyoczki, creativity is dynamic and kinetic.  She disarms you by using traditional materials—the silver and gold.  Then she does a little sleight of hand dazzling you with a necklace made with a wood picture frame, onyx beads and stainless steel wire! 

She seamlessly ventures from classic gold rings to a dramatic statement necklace composed of non-standard materials ranging from canvas to pom-poms to cement.  

Her take on what appears to be dog tag necklaces is a funky blend of Perspex, aluminum, and circuit board tags all suspended from one sterling silver ball chain.

Her forever expanding and changing aesthetic is purposeful and the explanation for that is simple.  She finds creating bangle sets from Perspex just as exciting as coaxing the lace, mesh and uneven surface details of sterling silver rings.

A one-time freelance make-up artist, who worked in film, theatre, and television, Panyoczki made the jump to jewelry design in the late 90s.  Under the tutelage of Pauline Bern, Panyoczki began “a love affair with metal and the preciousness of non-traditional materials.”

Set of Dog Tag Style Necklaces made with Various Materials

 “I completed a diploma at UNITEC in 3-D design and majored in jewelry.  Simple forms and textures are key to my work,” says the New Zealand-based jewelry designer.  “Observing the way things meet, join and how they relate to each other is an important source of inspiration.

I have worked with wax, paper, kitchen sponges and mothballs.  I love recycling things that other people throw away.  

My work is a discussion of utilitarian objects out of context.  I think the varying combinations of colors and textures are modern and contemporary.” 

Sterling Silver Wrapped Long Earrings
with Pink Enamel

2013 Jewelry Trend Alert:  Statement pieces, geometric forms, color pops courtesy of enamels, and found objects place Panyoczki’s eclectic and quirky range of jewelry firmly on trend for the New Year.

Panyoczki’s unique and beautiful jewelry creations are available for purchase at the following galleries:

Avid Gallery

Fingers

Piece Gallery