Martina Kocianova’s journey to becoming a jewellery artist traces back to her childhood memories of the forests in Slovakia. Fascinated by crystals and minerals, she picked up jewellery making at just eleven years old, experimenting with beads and polymer clay, without realising that jewellery design could become a serious profession in the future. It was a feeling. A calling from a shimmering world she wanted to be part of.
While studying textile design, jewellery making continued to develop independently in the background, until she realised it wasn’t just a hobby, but an artistic language she wanted to pursue and explore. A simple decision that led her to a renowned jewellery programme at Central Saint Martins in London.
‘Central Saint Martins had a huge impact on me. It helped me refine my taste and develop a personal visual language – understanding what makes my point of view unique. Studying and living abroad made me look back at my own childhood, my Slovak roots, and the things I had taken for granted. That is when I began to understand mushroom picking, forests, crystals and folk-like relationships to nature as something deeply personal, but also universal to where I am from.’
Discovering the art of stone carving through a course with Charlotte De Syllas, Martina began materialising her fascination with mushrooms into wearable fine jewellery heirlooms.
‘Mushroom foraging is one of my favourite hobbies, and a cultural part of people coming from my region. Once I understood my point of view, I began researching mushrooms and all their magic properties. Mycelium especially fascinates me because it exists beneath the surface as a living network that connects nature together, and the mushroom, a.k.a. the fruit, is the only visible part. For me, mushrooms are a symbol of magic and imagination I encountered as a child, and that is what connects people to my jewellery as well.’
Her new collection, Astroshrooms, reimagines the traditional zodiac through intricate mushroom depictions. In this symbolic translation, the astrological archetypes are in interplay with mycology. The thoughtfully selected mushroom species embody the character of zodiac signs, meticulously paired with a hand-carved birthstone connected to it.
‘I often feel like a vessel, creating objects that people can build their own relationship with. Once a piece leaves my studio, it becomes part of someone else’s story, carrying their memories, emotions and experiences.’
‘I’ve always associated both mushrooms and astrology with a certain sense of spirituality. Over the past few years, I noticed how many of my friends, myself included, would turn to astrology as a way of recognising patterns in human behaviour. At the same time, I was spending more time studying mushrooms and discovering the remarkable patterns within the fungal world. I became fascinated by the parallels between the two: the patterns we search for in the sky and the patterns hidden beneath our feet.’
This collection reaffirms Martina’s commitment to preserving playfulness and curiosity in her practice, all while creating a space for personal connections and stories of the wearer.
‘I often feel like a vessel, creating objects that people can build their own relationship with. Once a piece leaves my studio, it becomes part of someone else’s story, carrying their memories, emotions and experiences.’
Expanding beyond jewellery, Martina’s research and fascination with mycelium and its parallels to the human body’s regeneration and growth often transform into installations and site-specific work as well.
‘Unlike stone, which I can control almost completely, mycelium has its own agency. I often create moulds, allow the mycelium to grow into them, and then carve or intervene afterwards. As it continues to grow, it is completely self-directed. The material almost collaborates with me, rather than me making it into something predictable, found in stone.’
Splitting her time between London and Slovakia, Martina points out the balance between the two, each offering a unique creative energy to her practice. She then continues to highlight London as a supportive environment open to experimentation, encouraging alternative ways of making jewellery.
‘What I particularly appreciate is that there don’t seem to be rigid boundaries between disciplines. You can move between contemporary jewellery, fine jewellery, sculpture or even installation work without feeling that you must fit into a single category. Although jewellery itself is a niche field, it often comes with clearly defined expectations. In London, I’ve felt encouraged to blur those boundaries and develop a practice that feels authentic to me.’
Artist: Martina Kocianova @martikocianova
All featured images are courtesy of the artist.
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