Days of Wonder with Janja Prokic
Janja welcomes me with her generous smile and infectious laugh. It's impossible not to be swept up in the unfolding playful drama surrounding this raven hair designer as she muses over our breakfast she has prepared for her birthday. Her home's serenity is unfathomable, white walls, brightly filled generously rooms and curated with treasures from her travels and loves. She carries an air of triumphant artistic integrity, willing to hop from one design inspiration to another symbolic creation all in the framework of the designs that materialise as stunning jewellery pieces.
As a designer, she is well known, and her work is very personal, drawing from mysticism, fantasies, and symbolism. Her imagination can be texturised and converted into mini sculptures worn by so many Czech and foreign clients. But in her home, life is more quiet, gone are the darker tones of the studio. Here there is another side of Janja, the one who loves cooking, cultivation, and curating a life in multicolour.
"I think my home is calmer than the studio. It's in a way very similar but calmer colors and much more personal, of course. I don't need to be eccentric at home (haha). I need a bit of a rest from myself."
There are many elements of nature that have been placed within artistic compositions bringing value to their significance.
"Most of the things I have at home are personal memories. Most of the objects I got as presents from people that I love or loved. Well I must still love them in a way, even if we are not in touch anymore. Otherwise, I wouldn't keep the objects. I have various stones from my travels or pinecones, branches from woods, feathers, etc... then I have my little art collection. It's mainly people that I like as humans. I can't imagine having a piece of art made by a person I don't find nice. I must be interested in an artist personally."
Her beloved companion Eliska is a "super mix from a shelter," resembling a fox, with the softest eyes and the most expressive ears. Her studio's brand identity is a fox, so I was surprised when we started to talk about her spirit animal; she responded with a broad smile: "Maybe a moth? Because it always turns towards the light? I'm trying to see bright moments in all the shit around and go that way, as well they seem scary to a lot of people, but in reality, they are so fragile. "That's the beauty of friendship. Even when you think you know someone, they can surprise you.”
Text and Photos: Yasmin K Hejduk
Featuring: Shirt Kimono from the new collection Beauty Remains and Reversible wool and denim jacket.