Tomasz Donocik
Artist and designer Tomasz Donocik grew up in Vienna. He moved to London where he studied Jewellery Design first at Central Saint Martins and then in Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery at the Royal College of Art. He also attended a course in Leather Accessories at the London College of Fashion.
Tomasz creates collections driven by themes, the inspiration for which he draws from literature and architecture. He is not a traditional jeweller in the sense that he considers each piece primarily as an object of design, rather than adornment, and as a part of a narrative into which he hopes to draw his wearer.
He is interested in new subtle ways for men to wear jewellery and continuously crosses the boundaries between fashion and jewellery, giving jewellery a new meaning and form. He strives to introduce new materials into jewellery and tries to merge the traditional heritage of the craft (gold, silver, precious stones) with more contemporary materials such as silk, leather and wood. His sensitive fusion of materials, and his bold masculine designs which integrate the idea of adornment into masculine attire have attracted numerous media. Hilary Alexander writes for The Telegraph: “[he]…is determined to spearhead a new way for men to wear jewellery…It is the scarf and braces, however, which bear closer inspection - because these, in fact, represent a new step forward in men’s jewellery design”.
The inspiration for one of his collections is based around a novel written by M. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”.
“Since you have believed in the possibility of so many tragic and romantic villains having existed, why can you not believe in the reality of Pechorin?” The contradictions of Pechorin’s character – Lemontov’s most famous romantic hero – were incomprehensible to many on publication in 1839. Yet his combination of desirability and distance resonate strongly with today’s audience, transcending his original setting to become a timeless masculine ideal.
His jewellery appeals to men who – like Pechorin – want to remain, on some level, unknown and unknowable. It is a tribute to his persona and everything he represents and would have been an essential part of his wardrobe. Resisting definition by mixing the familiar with then expected, distinctive pieces have been created that offer ambiguous suggestions about the wearer’s identity, exploring the boundary between reality and aspiration.
The collection is targeting a male metro sexual audience and also looks at new alternative subtle ways men should wear jewellery. The pieces are timeless, consisting of luxurious and elegant materials such as gold, precious stones, leather and silk, but contrasted by playful fashionable and avant-garde sporadic elements of surrealism that break up the traditional alignment of the pieces.
Tomasz Donocik can be contacted on tomasz.donocik@alumni.rca.ac.uk or please visit www.tomaszdonocik.com
