In the creative space of the jeweler Rūtos Lapienytės, peculiar chaos and silence come together, which is often preferred here. The jewelry objects born in the studio, marked with a smiling heart drawn by Rūta herself, create a unique aesthetic and remind us that you don’t have to take everything too seriously in life.
Rūta, was your decision to focus specifically on jewelry design thought out and strategic, or did you choose the creative direction spontaneously?
I think I found my path to jewelry while trying myself out in many different areas. I was in a creative and artistic environment from the first day at school. I was introduced to ceramics, sculptures, graphics, and painting in elementary school. Throughout my life, I also had the chance to try analog photography, and later in life, the existential questions about the meaning of life in adolescence led me to write poetry and prose.
After graduating, for 5 years, I worked in a fantastic startup, in other words, an office job. At the same time, in order to realize my creativity (since I was missing it a lot at work), I created my own clothing brand, “Tegul Bėga”. Clothes with pictures drawn by me. However, my heart felt that this was not my true path either, so I continued to search.
Since there is/was more than one jeweler in the family, I’ve seen the process of creating jewelry more than once, so without waiting for anything, I decided to try it myself. In my circle of friends, many artists and people work on improving one craft or another. Even my husband is a tattoo artist, so the lifestyle of constantly improving your skills and pursuing goals in one area has always fascinated me. I always wanted to learn a craft, so that’s how I ended up here – in the field of jewelry.
Do the objects of jewelry you create reflect your personal style or individually nurtured aesthetics?
Yes. And I don’t think it could be otherwise. The work of every artist or creator is born in their head and then in their hands, so any artistic object seems to me to be a materialization or extension of the artist’s own thoughts. Therefore, I think that my jewelry truly reflects my style and aesthetic. Looking at my creations, I can always reminisce about the period of my life when I created one or another piece of jewelry, what inspired me, what I was thinking about, and what was beautiful to me at that time. This is just another proof that people are constantly changing – improving, and gaining different experiences.
The heart shape is your brand logo and a recurring motif in your work. Can you share how this traditionally romantic shape became part of your brand?
My current logo was created back in the days of my brand “Tegul Bėga”. It was embroidered on t-shirts and leggings. Since then, this heart has become one of my favorite symbols in my drawings. When creating jewelry, you need to have a so-called name tag – a sign that you must insert into each of your creations. Therefore, when it was necessary to choose one, I didn’t even doubt it would be this heart. Its calm smile reminds me that we can choose life to be more joyful and cheerful than gloomy and unhappy. You don’t need to take everything too seriously, because even this will pass…. The smile method works well for me in my work. If I feel that I want to smile while working and thinking about the creation that is about to be born, then I am on the right track.
Tell us what your creative space looks like? Is it dominated by order or unique creative chaos?
When I’m the only one who knows about the purpose of certain things and their location, then it’s more of a peculiar creative chaos. Creating one piece of jewelry sometimes requires dozens of tools, so it’s challenging to maintain perfect order and cleanliness. When my friends see my desk, they ask: what is this cosmos? That’s why I sometimes call my workplace a space station :)).
For now, I am concentrating on the workshop’s functionality and not so much on the aesthetic beauty. In the future, when the time comes, and opportunities arise, I dream of setting up a visually attractive creative studio.
What kind of music could we hear playing in your creative studio, and in which one?
Oh… I haven’t developed a close connection with music yet. Oddly enough, I listen to very little music. I am one of the few who still listen to the radio. “Gold FM” to be specific – as each jeweler should. But on a more serious note, I prefer silence. Various sound stimuli often disturb my concentration, and too loud or inappropriate music is more exhausting than inspiring. If I’m ever listening to music, I enjoy the music of older times the most. I don’t really understand modern pop anymore.
What jewelry accents do you usually wear yourself? Do you mostly wear your own creations, or do you like to experiment stylistically with the works of other creators?
I wear a lot of earrings and rings. In the summer, I also really like wearing necklaces, but I have been wearing the same ones for many years – my beloved ones. The saying “a shoemaker without shoes” is probably very appropriate here. That is very applicable to me.
Of course, I have my own jewelry, but I only wear it on special occasions. In this kind of work, I rarely have to dress up, only in my spare time, which I don’t have very much. However, I’ve enjoyed experimenting with clothes and accessories since I was a teenager. So I dive into experiments whenever there is an opportunity.
Could you tell us about the plans you have in mind for the upcoming year?
Most of my thoughts are about new creative objects and new devices that would improve the creative process and make work easier. In order to be a jeweler and have your own creative workshop, you need to invest a lot in equipment, so this year I really hope to advance in this field.
I’m not even talking about creative ideas anymore – they give me a headache. I really want to realize them and show them to the world, but sometimes it seems that 24 hours a day is no longer enough time for me.
