IN CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIA BAKSCHA
interview by LINNÉA RUIZ MUTIKAINEN
Hungarian jeweler Sophia Bakscha is an investigator. Daemon Concept is her playground. Concentrated on biology, divination, and transitional technologies, Bakscha introduces a space of personal discovery and contemporary turmoil, conceptualized as sculptural jewelry. Objects mirror the subversive ethos of a curious generation, challenging the framework for conformity.
Your pieces mirror an industry in transition. For instance, you only use renewable material in your pieces, such as lab-grown sapphires and recycled silver.
It is very intentional on my part to create work that expands on the concept of self-actualization and hyperreality. Synthetic gems are disrupting industries by exposing the diamond trade’s uncanny valley. I like to apply materials such as recycled silver, a renewable element that can become any shape but also endlessly restored to its purest form. Lab-created stones are simulations, just more ethical with better physical premises than anything ever considered real. They are accessible and virtually everlasting, it’s a paradox but also a new level of perfectionism: to shape shift dimensions that resist their own format.
Daemon Concept brings divinity and ethereal energies to mind. Is there a connection to mythology?
Daemon refers to a messenger between gods and humanity. At the time, it seemed like a good idea to emphasize openness and the notion of an alternative perspective rather than talent. Essentially, it means that we allow limitations to be blurred. There is this tender flux where each design is a vivid interaction with the owner’s mind. My work juxtaposes concepts, such as the perception of inner time and materiality or divination and transpersonal experiences.
Speaking of juxtaposing concepts, what about the bridge between art and technology? That one feels very you.
I could corner someone with this topic at a house party. I believe that the ultimate fragment of technology – the one that really amplifies your creative progress – already exists. But you have to actively seek it. It could also vanish and never become accessible to man. This idea is one of the reasons I don’t want to gatekeep our creative process. I want to encourage jewelry makers to materialize their digital imaginations. Living with technology will always be a double edged sword, but now it’s part of us. We are building a visual and material culture that is eerily artificial, yet natural beyond nature.
There seems to be a penchant for music too. Your collaborators are often emerging musicians or audiovisual artists.
I believe that music generates a way of thinking beyond the proverbial highs and lows. It’s like you can almost see it. It’s a unique language, which I use to unfold structures and propel compositions within my own design practice. Through my own collections, I get the chance to fully express myself, but I equally enjoy helping others to maximize their potential.
Previous projects, like the collaboration with Yves Tumor, have contributed to the learning curve. Now we have fine-tuned our practice and expanded our production lines, helping music labels realize their 360-degree vision. For example, we created the first jewelry collection for Japanese rapper Tohji’s brand VANILLANI. Currently, I am excited to develop an accessory collection together with Courtney MC (former designer at Givenchy and creator of Travis Scott’s latest tour attire). Her dark and visual universe really aligns with my aesthetic values.
Recently, you had your exhibition We Are So Much More Than Chaos in Budapest, driven by themes of conformity and cultural clashes. Do you want to do more interdisciplinary work?
Daemon Concept is an outlet for a radically optimistic vision, but as a visual artist I still have a lot of pent up rage. For the longest time, I mostly existed online. Influenced by the need for community and importance of IRL presence, I started exploring the format of live installations – they live up to the hype.
Culture is so hyper focused on a few capitals. I often wonder, “Do people really care what happens outside of that bubble?”. With We Are So Much More Than Chaos, I wanted to shed some light on this. I am from one of those non-existing cities in a non-existing country where they have yet to discover that barbed wire doesn’t double as a social security net.
all looks WEIRAEN
accessories DAEMON CONCEPT, COURTNEY MC, ADRIAN KISS
And I also know that you’re into raves.
I feel a natural attraction to art that emerges from non-institutional spaces. I have been putting on raves since I was 16, they’re core memories to me. When I look at the work of Anne Imhof or Amnesia Scanner, I think of a modern day version of theater, a space where people party and socialize. I don’t mind people losing a bit of respect for art if it means that they will enjoy it more. Unhinged desires can be the starting point of new ideas.
TEAM CREDITS:
photography LEANDA HELER
talent PURE ABSENCE
creative direction SOPHIA BAKSCHA
make up RICHARD FAZEKAS
