Janja Prokić: About the New Amor Fati Collection that will take you from darkness to light

The new Amor Fati collection came to Janja Prokić with a fatal force. Why are moths important to her? How defining can it be to read a fairy tale? And why is she happier in the Lusatian Mountains than anywhere else in the world?

 

How did the moth find you?

"I had a completely different idea in mind, which already had clear outlines in my head. Originally, it was supposed to be a romantic collection with bows inspired by ancient Rome, which has always been a great inspiration for me. Then I went to Germany to buy precious stones, specifically aquamarines, and while holding them in my hand and looking at them, it occurred to me that I wanted a moth to be part of the collection.

Usually, I see my ideas, they reveal themselves to me. I was holding a stone and immediately saw two moths holding it from the side. I have had a long relationship with moths; I like them, and for a while, I even drew them. So I tried sketching the first design, and it was clear: the new collection had to include a moth. The original idea, which I had been contemplating for several months, went into the drawer.

And so I began to focus on the moth, which has great significance for me. Not only because it is drawn to the light and follows it, no matter what happens. At that moment, this was crucial for me. I felt that I had strayed from my path, which was in the light, and that I had neglected the light and needed it. Hence the moth. To me, the moth seems sophisticated, beautiful, even more beautiful than a butterfly."

 

How did you manage to embrace your new idea and forget about the previous one, which was significant in itself?

"At one point, I realized that even though the theme of Rome is strong for me, the story of the moth needed to be addressed at that moment. It wasn’t really a debate. It came much more from me, from my heart. The moth represents an important emotional theme for me."

 

It’s not the only symbol in the collection. What else, besides the moth, holds significant meaning?

"The forest. When I’m in the forest, I don’t follow beaten paths or marked trails. I seek solitude in nature, so I just wander through the woods. But I don’t feel comfortable when darkness begins to fall. Metaphorically, it dawned on me that I was standing in a dark forest, but I didn’t want to be there. At that time, I spent a lot of time alone at my cottage in the Lusatian Mountains, staying in nature and searching for the way to the light. I often looked at the stars, which can be seen as life’s navigators."

 

Does the creative process come easily? Or do you not mind struggling with it?

"I feel that with creation, one always struggles in some way. Even though some pieces come quite naturally, 'on their own,' others require more work. But both paths are possible and okay. I never know if I will be satisfied with the final product, so it’s good to take a step back. I create in a special space-time bubble and without the rational mind on. Then I need time to assess whether what emerged from this bubble is strong enough to go out to people. For example, I have a necklace in the collection that was extremely labor-intensive. I started working on it in April when I was at the cottage, and it was finished only on August 1st. I sweated blood on it, both internally and technically, but it was worth it. It’s an important piece for me. It’s a heart-shaped medallion with branches and stars on the outside that should guide us in the dark forest. The medallion can be opened, and inside is a small forest. The piece is about not opening your heart to everyone and not showing everyone what’s inside it. We choose whom we let peek into our forest and whom we let walk in it."

 

Do you have a belief that fate knows? A faith that everything will turn out well?

"For the collection, I chose the name Amor Fati, which means 'love your fate.' This idea was popularized by Nietzsche, and I resonate with it a lot. It’s about understanding that even when things aren’t always going well, you will eventually realize that they were good. Trust in fate, even during difficult times, should not abandon us. If it does, we lose the will to live. For me, the will to live is about living, not just surviving. Faith is the light that gives the energy to go on. Having light within you and in your heart, which then shines on the path even when things aren’t entirely easy."

 

Does this theme relate to building personal resilience?

"The word 'resilience' is something I actually try to overcome, and I try to accept that I don’t have to be so resilient. Resilience creates a crust, armor, and that’s not what I want. I don’t resonate with that word. But I do resonate with inner strength."

 

What do you believe in?

"I believe that love is the most important thing. Nothing is greater. That is the light. And it’s up to us where we direct it. That’s why I subtly included the number six in the collection, which symbolizes love. For instance, there might be six items or fifteen stars, or there are stones with a diameter of six millimeters. Everything has its reason.

An important story for me was also one of Buddha’s tales, where he observed moths approaching a lamp. Those that came too close burned themselves. It’s a reminder that there are things that are beautiful, but we must watch our boundaries so that the beauty, the magnitude of some splendor, doesn’t swallow us. Sometimes beauty can be greater than us, and we need to judge how close we can get to it so we can handle it. It’s not as simple as it may seem. It’s not about material things, but rather intangible ones."

 

What is the main message of the Amor Fati collection?

"The entire collection is about moving through the unconscious or subconscious and finding the way. This is related to a set of coronation jewels of the Dark Forest Queen, which I created for the High Craft exhibition as part of Designblok. I think of the Dark Forest Queen as a force that helps us when we are lost in the dark forest and leads us back to where we need to go. I imagine a mysterious queen of moths, who may be a phantom or perhaps real but camouflaged with the forest. Her jewels contain rose quartz, stones that open the heart. Symbolically, they are there because the path out of the dark forest leads through our hearts."

 

Did you learn anything new from this collection?

"I tried to push technological boundaries and adjust the jewelry to be extremely comfortable, even when it involves large pieces. I’m also thrilled with the beautiful aquamarines with international certificates that I found. They are gems in themselves."

 

You mentioned that the jewelry was created at the cottage. How important is this place to you?

"Absolutely. The entire collection was created only at the cottage. In Prague, the crafting and goldsmithing part happens, but the creative process and modeling come from the Lusatian Mountains. At the cottage, I found a book that I brought there shortly after buying the cottage seven years ago. Recently, I read it again. It’s Fairy Tales by my favorite Hermann Hesse, where one tale is called The Iris. It tells about a woman who compares the iris to a path bordered with gold leading into the depths.

I realized that there are two types of people – for some, external things, the material, are more important, and for others, it’s their inner world. That’s how I am. And that explains my decision to focus on a completely different theme than the one I originally thought about for six months. Because moths are about the inner world. And about the value it has for me."

 

What do you have from the new collection right now?

"Right now, nothing, because the ring I made for myself I ended up not wanting, and I took it apart.

I am working on a ring with rose quartz, which symbolizes love, and aquamarine, a symbol of hope, protection, and communication, which I bought for my fortieth birthday, is still waiting for its turn. I am returning to various motifs that I started with. I am returning to the heart and the stars.

I am convinced that when you have an open heart, you can overcome anything. If you let it shine, it will protect you. It’s ultimate symbolism. With an open heart, every decision comes from the light and leads us where we need to go."