Born and raised in Ukraine, I was influenced by the mystical elements that were woven into the rich tapestry of my culture's heritage. The enigmatic and ethereal, often veiled in layers of symbolism and metaphor, ignited a creative spark within me that would ultimately shape and define my artistic expression.

Driven by curiosity about ceremonial and metaphysical practices, my travels as an artist and photographer led me to collect indigenous stones and crystals from around the world. Their raw beauty inspired me to transform them into wearable art. I amassed a hand-picked collection, investigating their metaphysical properties and shamanic and healing uses. Through experimentation, I discovered a unique epoxy compound, which I shaped and molded freehand around the stones, incorporating elements like gold and silver dust, gold leaf, patinas, resin, and rare vintage chains.

Each piece is not premeditated but inspired by the energy and character of the stone. I work intuitively, allowing the final creation to emerge slowly through a collaborative process with nature. I'm fascinated by the uniqueness of each stone; its origin, age, character, story, and energy.

As my production has grown, I now source stones from sustainable mines worldwide, still hand-picking each one. The vintage chains, some dating back to the 1930s, are nickel-free, unique in craftsmanship, and sourced in New York. The resin I use is jewelry-grade and hypoallergenic.

Armed With Ardor is wearable art. Each creation has a title symbolizing the stone’s properties. No two pieces are ever alike, even within collections sharing the same name, which is why some are numbered.

Armed With Ardor draws inspiration from the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, celebrating transformation, change, and imperfection. It is a meditation on the raw and the refined, time, form, and essence, hard angles and fluidity, and a dialogue between feminine and masculine, stellar and earthly, the inner and the outer. The collection comprises symbols, objects for incantation, and facilitators of inspiration and healing.

Despite the fact that the mediums of jewelry and photography are quite distant, I view Armed With Ardor as an extension of my work as a visual artist and believe that one informs the other by way of contemplation on the mysteries of the natural world, and deepening of instinct and connectivity.

To view my photography please visit elenalyakir.com

Elena Lyakir

Founder/Artist/Creator