Photography by Nina Kadatko
Maud Traon is a ground-breaking jewellery artist who launched her new collection into the world of fashion by combining precious and unexpected materials. Instantly creating an innovative approach to jewellery design, Traon’s variety of craft techniques used help to convey dynamic, imaginative themes of dream landscape and fantasy. This collection see’s her expand on her trademark concepts of explosive colour fusions and surprising usage of mixed-media, effortlessly creating otherworldly jewellery at its finest.
Have you always wanted to be a Jewellery designer?
Oh, no! It kind of happened really.
When did you realise that jewellery making was your calling?
I had a shy start at making jewellery. So I started a course an afternoon a week while studying Communication in Paris, it soon started to be the only thing I was looking forward to doing. At the end of the academic year I decided that was it, I left everything and started to do jewellery.
Photography by Nina Kadatko
You launched your career by studying Communications and Jewellery in Paris and then came to London in 2005 for an MA. How do you think the two cities have influenced your unique style?
The cultural differences had a massive impact on my work. One of the first projects I started, when I first arrived in London, was on packet of crisps. I had an ambiguous attraction to them. They represented at the same time the junk, the bad, but such a natural thing to snack on here. It almost started to become a symbol of freedom to me. The other thing about them was the vibrant colour of the packets, that I at any point could relate to food or something edible. So I suppose this complex relationship between fake and real, the confusion between the inside and the outside, is something that is still very present in my work. And of course a fascination for colours.
Describe the process of creating a piece of your jewellery, how do you go about designing them and who creates the actual piece?
I create the pieces, they are all handmade. Concerning the design that is a tricky question. I have in fact started sketching only very recently, but I collect lots of things. From pizza flyers and wrapping paper of chocolate bars, to tacky object. And I am permanently chasing unusual glitter…stone shapes with interesting colours. I suppose the act of collecting on such a regular basis creates informal thoughts and guidelines that very often become the starting point of a piece.
What are your favourite materials to work with?
I would say glitter. But I guess it is more the entire process of making really.
Photography by Nina Kadatko
A series that really stands out is ‘Dreams: Rings and other shocking things’ where each piece is so flamboyant and complex that it looks like it could be found in space. Where did the inspiration for that come from?
[By thinking] what ring would I wear on my “I want to be a princess” day? In an imaginary ideal planet, where the Milky Way would create stardust for us to wear. A way to escape the reality of the inevitable value system.
What is next on the horizon for you?
I will take part to an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris next September and [I] will take part in Goldsmith’s Fair next October.
How do you hope Maud Traon will evolve?
For the moment I am really happy being able to present jewellery collections, as well as some more artistic and more exhibition based work. And I truly hope to be able to maintain this balance, as to me these two directions are really feeding each other.
Photography by Nina Kadatko
Words / Caroline Schmitt
Follow Caroline on Twitter @caro_schmitt
