Michel Ostaszewski & Marija Djordjevic
Medium: Jewellery
Location: Vancouver, BC
Member Since: 2023
ABOUT
Long before Projekt M was born, Michel and Marija, the artists behind Projekt M, met in the US while pursuing their Master's degrees. Upon completing their graduate studies, they settled in New York. Michel worked as a Props Master at the Metropolitan Opera, and Marija as a costume designer for theatre, opera and dance. Marija found herself constantly searching for the perfect piece of jewellery to tie in her designs. Working within the constraints of small budgets, Marija often made her own jewellery for the shows she worked on. Michel, in the course of his work at the MET, often created intricate bib-style necklaces and rings for the productions. It was only a matter of time before the two took things completely into their hands and, in 2015, laid the foundation of Projekt M. Their idea was to create unique jewellery pieces grounded in their artistic interests. Initially, they created exclusively for women, but in 2016, Projekt M expanded its offerings to include a stunning array of men's jewelry, from bold statement pieces to subtle accents. Marija and Michel made a conscious choice to employ sustainable practices that not only ensured the preservation of the environment but also provided customers with an ethically produced and durable product. With each item made by hand, start to finish, Projekt M is firmly grounded in artisanal, one-of-a-kind and small series pieces.
ARTIST STATEMENT
We explore the opposites in technique, materials, tradition, and function to arrive at a new value. Symbiosis of the contradictory, such as raw yet elegant, chunky yet sophisticated, and contemporary yet timeless shapes our pieces. In this time of corrective filters, we seem to have an ever-shrinking tolerance for the natural process of aging of both people and objects, so we invite the viewer to seek beauty in cracks and crevices left by the passage of time, revealing layers upon layers of history.