Ekaterina Korzh

Specialized in Costume Design Design.

Ekaterina Korzh

About Ekaterina Korzh

Ekaterina Korzh, a second-year MFA student in Jewelry & Metal Arts, received her first masters in Socio-Economic Geography at the University of Northern Iowa and Saint-Petersburg State University. Her first steps in jewelry making happened in Colombia where she took her first jewelry classes with Francisco Jose Pineros. Last year she took second place at the International Art & Design Competition in Florence. Her works were also chosen by Artistar Jewels Committee in 2017 to be presented at Milan Fashion Week. Also, she showed her works in "The Fourth Iowa Metals Guild Exhibition: Iowa+Taiwan" at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (CRMA) in 2016. Ekaterina travels a lot and devotes her pieces for this never-ending geography practice.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Costume Design Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Costume Design
Traditional Parure Jewelry Set

Traditional Parure Jewelry Set

Costume Design Design

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Interview with Ekaterina Korzh

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
My journey began in geography. Just in my mid-twenties, I finally got a chance to study jewelry and visual arts. Studying metalsmithing, sculpture, and embroidery, I was still interested in socio-economic geography and was exploring themes of displacement, cultural memory, and sustainability. I discovered jewellery as a medium that could encapsulate intimacy, heritage, and material experimentation all at once. I earned an MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry from the University of Kansas, and my thesis show was devoted to the conversation of cultural heritage, immigration, and personal search. I’ve always been drawn to objects that carry meaning and story, and jewelry naturally became my chosen language. It bridges personal expression with public symbolism, and I believe I was always headed toward this intersection.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
My studio practice operates as a hybrid between a jewelry atelier and a conceptual art space. While I produce wearable pieces, I also develop large-scale installations and sculptures centered around jewelry. My work is currently represented by Phoenix Gallery, and I often collaborate with institutions, curators, and craft centers for exhibitions, workshops, and residencies. I design and fabricate everything myself, using a mix of traditional and unconventional materials—from recycled plastics and glass to natural fibers and precious metals.
What is "design" for you?
For me, design is storytelling through structure. It’s the ability to shape emotional, cultural, and material experiences into a tangible form. It’s not just about how something looks or functions—it’s about what it communicates and how it affects people. In my practice, design is also a form of activism and healing—a way to recover erased narratives and celebrate overlooked traditions.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I’m most passionate about creating jewelry that transcends decoration—pieces that evoke ritual, identity, and memory. I love designing works that feel like modern relics, embedded with stories and contradictions. Jewelry that uses sustainable materials to reference historical forms especially excites me—it feels like creating a time-traveling object.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
The Traditional Parure Jewelry Set is one of my favorite and most meaningful works. It blends archival research, personal narrative, and experimental material practice. It was also a technical challenge and a spiritual journey—reviving cloisonné methods, weaving and knotting cotton, fusing glass and metal, all to tell a story of cultural loss and reclamation. Winning the A’ Design Award for this set has been incredibly affirming.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
Found objects and textile-based components are my favorites because they invite imperfection and storytelling. I also deeply enjoy hand-painted enameling—a slow, meditative process that requires patience and precision. It feels like a ritual in itself.
When do you feel the most creative?
I feel most creative when I'm in the midst of research or storytelling—reading folklore, handling archival objects, or experimenting with new material combinations. The studio becomes a laboratory, a sanctuary, and a time capsule all at once.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I prioritize narrative cohesion, material integrity, and emotional resonance. I want every part of the piece—its texture, color, weight, and construction—to feel intentional and communicative.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
It ranges from curiosity and obsession to frustration and joy. Designing can be a deeply emotional process for me—it’s where I process cultural longing and personal memory. At times it feels like a prayer, at others, like a puzzle.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
There’s always a mix of awe and vulnerability. Seeing a concept become a physical object is exhilarating, but it also feels intimate, like exposing a piece of my inner world to the public. The pride comes not just from how it looks, but from what it represents.
What makes a design successful?
When it resonates emotionally, ethically, and visually. A successful design, to me, tells a layered story, respects its materials, and connects with people in unexpected ways.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
I first look at intention and execution—what the piece is trying to say and how clearly and responsibly it communicates that. Material choice, form, innovation, and emotional impact also weigh heavily.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
Designers shape culture, and with that comes responsibility. We must consider sustainability, inclusivity, and the preservation of tradition. Our work can perpetuate harm or spark healing.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
Design is becoming more interdisciplinary and socially conscious. I see the future of design as circular, decolonized, and regenerative—focused not just on consumption, but on restoration and connection.
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
My most recent exhibition was “There Are More Fairies Further from Home...”—a solo show featuring large ceramic and jewelry-based sculptures. I’m currently planning my next solo exhibition around ritual adornment and Slavic mythology.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
Folklore, memory, displacement, and ecological materials. I read mythology, study ethnographic archives, and experiment with discarded objects. My Slavic heritage is a wellspring of symbolic imagery.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
My style is poetic, hybrid, and referential. It blends folk ornament, post-Soviet nostalgia, and contemporary eco-ethics. It's tactile, layered, and emotionally resonant—rooted in both research and intuition.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I don't live anywhere longer than 2-4 years. Then I keep moving. For example, I live in the U.S., but I'm leaving it soon. I always miss my home, but when I'm there, I want to travel again. Living abroad sharpens my awareness of cultural loss and belonging. It drives me to preserve and reinterpret my heritage through design.
How do you work with companies?
I typically collaborate through limited-edition collections or concept development. I value creative freedom and alignment on sustainability and cultural sensitivity.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
Trust the creative process and choose designers whose values align with your brand. Support slow design and ethical production methods—it results in deeper, more impactful work.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
It begins with research—historical, symbolic, and material. Then sketching, prototyping, and slow, hands-on experimentation. It’s very iterative and emotionally driven. The piece reveals itself over time.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
Vintage traveling chest Pink porcelain tea cup from the UK A ceramic artist's vase that celebrates a body-positive female body A 3D-printed lamp I designed A ceramic sculpture from my last exhibition
Can you describe a day in your life?
I start with quiet time—reading or journaling. Mornings are for studio work: fabricating, chasing, or enameling. Afternoons often involve research, grant writing, or teaching. Evenings, I sketch or walk for inspiration.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Stay curious and don’t be afraid to slow down. Follow what moves you emotionally. Learn your materials deeply. Design is a language—make sure you have something meaningful to say with it.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
Positives: creative freedom, emotional expression, and the ability to influence culture. Negatives: financial uncertainty, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure to constantly innovate.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
Let the materials and the story lead. Never design for trend—design for truth.
What skills are most important for a designer?
Critical thinking, empathy, storytelling, adaptability, and patience.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
Rhino 3D, hand tools for metalsmithing, enamel kiln, sketchbooks, Slavic mythology books, archives, and found material boards. Also, lots of experimental materials!
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
I work in focused blocks with long breaks for reflection. I’m intentional about rest—creative burnout is real. Lists and rituals keep me grounded.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
Anywhere from two weeks to several months, depending on complexity and material exploration.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
“Where did you find this material?” or “Is this piece wearable or art?”
What was your most important job experience?
Creating and curating my solo show during my MFA. It pushed every boundary—technical, emotional, and intellectual—and taught me to trust my voice.
Who are some of your clients?
Private collectors, curators, art galleries, and museums. Also, people who value sustainable, meaningful jewelry as wearable art.
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Conceptual jewelry that ties personal history to collective identity. It allows for deep storytelling and material play.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
Expand my parure collection, publish the relation between politics and jewelry art, and apply for international residencies to deepen my research.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
Primarily solo, though I collaborate with other jewelers and historians for specialized skills or research support.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
Yes—a series of enameled earrings that feature native Kansas rocks that are commonly used here at parking lots, but they carry tons of prehistoric fossils. I shape and polish them to install them into a fine jewelry шусуы
How can people contact you?
People can reach me via my instagram @korzhstudio, or through my email: e.s.korzh@gmail.com
Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
Yes—jewelry is a political object. It’s never just about beauty. It’s about who gets to tell their story, and how we carry our past into the future.

Designer of the Day Interview with Ekaterina Korzh

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I graduated from the University of Iowa with an MA in Jewelry design and 3D design. But my first jewelry making classes took place five years ago in Colombia in a private school. Now I am doing jewelry and 3d visualization on a daily bases.
How did you become a designer?
My first professional background was not of design. I spent around 8 years on studies and research in geography when I realized that I need to admit that I need to switch my career path and to do product and jewelry design. It didn't occur in an empty place, of course, because of all my life of learning and practicing different crafts and arts. At that moment, five years ago I started studying silversmithing in a small town of Tabio in Colombia during my research project. In two years, I was already admitted to the School of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa. There I took my first classes in product and furniture design. I established my own brand "korzhstudio" during these studies. Now I don't see my life without designing a new object every day.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Informed by my background in geography, my work employs an observational and inquiring perspective on the world that I retained from this education. In my jewelry, I create micro-landscapes by combining metal work with found stones, objects, and precious materials. But my priorities are still aesthetics and comfortable wear of my products
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
Complete calm. It's almost like a meditation. But it also important to stop at the right time or you will start ruining everything because you are tired or stuck. It is never a good idea to enforce yourself when you are designing something. The right design will come soon or later.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Everything in my pas shaped me as a designer: studying geography, craft classes, travels, international experience. I think the main skill that helps me to reach this point is my curiosity for life, nature, and world in general.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
In korzhtudio, I am mainly producing jewelry based on my designs. In the future, I plan to widen the assortment to other products that I like to design such as furniture and lighting design. Also, I want to shift my production on outsourcing to have more free time for design ideas. I am practicing both goldsmithing and 3D technologies right now. They do not intercept yet in my work but I hope it will happen in the future. So, I would say I still love to use traditional metal work but at the same time I design a lot of interior products in Rhinoceros and Fusion. I think these platforms are the best.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
Sketch, sketch and sketch even if you don't have an opportunity to develop your project you should draw it on paper. That was major advice from my first jewelry teacher Francisco Jose Pineros.
What is your day to day look like?
I wake up and usually do yoga or run. Then I have breakfast and check my to-do list and schedule. After that, I spend most of my day in my metalwork shop developing my jewelry. In the evening I work on social marketing and photography of my final products.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I think the design trends create some atmosphere in culture and people feel that today's environment consists of some particular elements. It all affects contemporary designs and styles. Trends exist and change just because of human history evolve.
What is your biggest design work?
A set of furniture made of plywood and fabric. It was a set of one coat rack, a chair, two stools, and a side table.
Who is your favourite designer?
Iris van Herpen, Zaha Hadid, Ilgiz Fazulyanov, René Lalique, jewelery house Hemmerle
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I love to travel and to get to know new people and places. After backpacking trips, I have the biggest inspirations for my designs.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I'm producing my products myself and just sometimes use outsource to develop some parts of my projects. I just can say that I am lucky to be surrounded by such good makers and people
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
In my designs, I use recycled silver and trying to be eco-friendly with all materials and resources that use. No excessive use of materials or energy

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