In this interview, we delve into the world of Kiala Kanzi, who share her inspirations and unique perspectives.
1. Introduce Yourself to the Casawi Community: What drives you? What's your artistic vision, and what sets you apart from the crowd?
A drive is a momentum a feeling of certainty that what you want to do or your doing is exactly right and that there is no other way. Out of this certainty I create. And I create with spirit. I believe jewelry is a vessel. You should know who the person is that creates jewelry for you.
2. City Inspirations: How has your city influenced your artistic path? Share how its streets, culture, and energy have molded your work.
I have lived in so many different places. And all of them shaped me and what I do to what u can see today.
Although this raw technique of casting for example is a technique I learned in school in Germany but it is traditionally from the Ashanti people in Ghana. And that’s where 8 years later I found my home. So sometimes it seems like life already knows and gives you glimpses of what’s to come.
Munich where I grew up is home coming back good food resting recharging just family - the way I move through life is because of them…I’m never alone…I know they always have my back.
Barcelona was my twenties. What a time to be alive what wonderful people I met what kind of crazy moments I was allowed to live and experience. I’m so grateful this city shaped my creativity and my personality.
Pforzheim was another city that was filled with creativity I did 2,5 years of studies there and was living in isolation but isolated with the best people ever. Probably one of my creatively freest times.
I went back to bcn after spent quarantine there met the father of my daughter and we decided to give birth in Munich. After one year we moved to Berlin a city I actually never wanted to live in it was beautiful for what it was mostly for the women that I met and that became sisters.
After 2 years in Berlin we decided to move to Accra, and build a home, and that’s whats happening right now. There’s a lot of different feelings connected to the move here. And it impacts my creativity on a completely new level I love craftsmanship, and here I am so incredibly close to it. It feels like everything is doable! EVERYHING. And time just doesn’t exist. And that’s probably the biggest luxury as an artist
3. Creative Process: What fuels your creativity? Whether it's a ritual, a muse, or a moment of clarity, we're keen to learn.
Life. Living life fully, an open heart, conversations, people, moments of connection. Stories - maybe you read them or maybe when you are walking through the madina of Marrakech you see this man sitting on the sidewalk painting the most beautiful paintings so you decide to sit with him on the floor as if time doesn’t exist and you just listen because he has the most honest stories one can have. If we should meet one day I will tell you what he told me. Because it frees your heart.
4. City Lifestyle and Art: How the places you lived influenced your career and work?
I love where I am and I love who I am here in Accra. Creativity seems more accessible just because the energy that surrounds me is of a frequency that just works for me. It calms me with all its chaos instead of giving me this heavy restless feeling of running after something and loosing my essence during that run. Be where you have peace of mind.
5. Latest or Upcoming Projects: Give us a glimpse into your current endeavors and what lies ahead on your creative journey.
I’m soon gonna have my studio set up properly and I feel like that will change a lot and I’m excited about that! I just gave a sculpture workshop at neue Nation Galerie Berlin (with 150 attendees) which still feels surreal, and will launch my new hair jewelry collection which you should definitely check out…I’m also working on some incredible 1of1 pieces for a concept store in Düsseldorf and I made a 24 k gold crown I still can’t really talk about until it’s released. I’m discovering something new about my work at the moment and now that my daughter is a little older I feel like I can actually take some more time to artistically explore what object and adornment means to me…..Thank you for asking me this because I feel like sometimes it’s hard to stop and just count blessings. I’m so grateful for this moment. And everything that’s to come…wow.
++
Instagram: @kialakanzi
Share this article