Anna Balasoglou

Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

"Some people tell me I am an artist and some people tell me I am a designer. Art and design are nearly the same, and jewellery can function as art and as design. In my work I continually brave this question: What is jewellery? Is it adornment? Yes. Is it an expression of the person who wears it? Yes. Is it an expression of the times? Yes. Does it have relevance – when, where, why, how? I create my jewellery in response to these questions; so it is the question and the answer.

One thing I know for sure is that I don’t want throw-away designs. I want my work to last and at the same time always remain fresh. This is a challenge that has driven me since I first started jewellery design over 20 years ago. My tinkering – whether it happens in my mind or on my jeweller’s bench – is not rational, it has nothing to do with words – it is an intuitive expression that reflects my vision of the world – and by expressing myself as I do I can feel grounded until such time as I weigh anchor – to stretch myself again."