My name is Alexis Kostuk and I am a goldsmith currently working as the Manager in the co-operative jewellery studio called Jewel Envy in Toronto, Canada. From this space I design and make limited edition jewellery for my personal business glaciale goldsmith as well as custom pieces for people looking for something unique.

 

I attended the Ontario College of Art and Design starting off in Drawing and Painting until I started experimenting in jewellery making classes. During summers off from school my parents encouraged me and my sister to start our own small business. We vacationed regularly on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and it is there that we opened a small kiosk. In our kiosk (Henna and More) we gave people henna tattoos and also made jewellery to sell. To further my studies I attended the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Italy in 2006. My interest in further education was half the reason I studied in Italy... come on... the art, the history, if I could convey how big of an art nerd I am to someone I don't know who stumbles upon and is stuck reading this... hmm... It's just who I am.

As a Designer-Maker I love to collaborate ideas with customers. I relish that moment during a walk, a conversation or when I am reading when a new idea pops into my brain seemingly out of nowhere. I am often distracted back to drawing, sometimes sewing, occasionally baking, and never endlessly enjoying art. I am passionate and enjoy teaching j
ewellery fabrication and design through classes at Jewel Envy as well as at George Brown College. I love taking on jewellery repairs, redesigning/re-purposing old jewellery, film prop work, and especially creating one of a kind custom pieces.

When left to my own devices my work as a goldsmith focuses on creating pieces that reflect past memories. There is often playful hinting at historical elements in the jewellery I make. In each of my pieces I push myself to explore different materials and integrate different fabrication processes that are aesthetically contemporary. Jewellery is the perfect embodiment for capturing my work because it can in turn become a keepsake and signify personal memories for the wearer.