Based in Riga, Latvia, Maija Vitola-Zitmane makes jewelry characterized by subtle handwork and an intimate message. She finds inspiration in the human inner world, where the highest basic values—love, respect, and devotion—coexist with willingness and lust. A student of iconography, she captures and expresses her feelings in symbols that are meaningful to her. Vitola-Zitmane works mainly with natural materials such as bone, horn, and wood, combining them with silver. She prefers hand making to industrial techniques; she says, “When I’m carving material by hand it feels like the material tells its own story, allowing me to create works that are unique and sculptural representations of my world.”
