Jewellery designer Vasundhara Mantri's hand-blown pieces make wearable art a reality

When it comes to experimental jewellery, we’ll say yes to anything! Especially if it’s something as trailblazing as blown-glass statement pieces, conceptualised to explore the interactions of energies. Created along the line of traditional Venetian Murano glass jewellery, Vasundhara Mantri’s new concept jewellery line is crafted entirely with blown glass and is sure to make for the perfect icebreaker at any soiree you’ll be at this summer. Thankfully, you can get a glimpse of Vasundhara’s stunning creativity at an exhibit showcase titled, An Interaction, scheduled to be held on April 27, at Park Street’s Motherland Studio, where you can get to know more about the concept from the designer herself. 

“Everything has an energy line. This range is about the interaction of these energies; it explores how they converge. Like the energy of metal and glass interacting with each other... When you see the pieces, you will also feel a surge of energies,” Vasundhara tells us, as she shows us a blown-glass pendant at her plush outlet, at New Alipore’s The Enclave. The piece in question features coiled glass and telephone wire-style cords with a metallic finish, intertwined to create a swirling glass-and-metal synergy. 

“Think of it as wearable art. It’s quite literally one-of-a-kind, and can never be recreated in the exact shape. Each piece is hand-blown,” adds the designer, who underwent training at The Gemological Institute of America. Interestingly, Vasundhara, whose eponymous jewellery label turns 15 this July, made her break with statement occasion-wear jewellery. The designer has only just started venturing into the experimental format and is pushing the envelope quite a bit when it comes to medium and design. Vasundhara, in fact, aspires to reach out to the sartorial risk-takers in the city. 

“I think it will appeal to people who dare to be different, who understand art, and who are fashion-forward,” she tells us. We found some amazing blown-glass danglers, featuring metals trapped inside swirling glass, sleek shoulder-duster earrings, and chunky necklaces. Vasundhara might well be the only designer in the city who is experimenting with this unique technique, and her designs are sure to attract influencers and millennial professionals. “The Indian market is evolving, but I do feel it has been stagnating a bit for the last couple of years. Designers and artists are now breaking away from traditional formats to experiment. I remember, when I started my label 15 years ago, barely anyone was doing fashion jewellery in Kolkata. People would ask me why a piece of jewellery costs 2,000 bucks. That question luckily does not exist today, especially when it comes to well-crafted, original numbers. People now prefer concept jewellery over the real stuff, as it stands out,” offers the designer, whose new range starts from Rs 5,000. 

April 27, 11 am-7 pm. At Motherland Studio, Park Street.