The creative space behind jewelry
Malin Ohlsson welcomes me into her studio with a big smile while she offers me some water. This very talented Sweden jeweler moved to Hong Kong from London some years ago and since then has been developing her jewelry business by creating new collections and working on bespoke pieces.
Malin shares her studio space at the Hatton studios, where she also teaches. She studied political science on another galaxy but thankfully for us she switched to jewelry and instead of being stuck behind a desk she is happily siting at her bench creating beautiful pieces. And this is one of the things I love about Malin. She moved to Hong Kong because of her fiancé but she took this opportunity to start her own jewelry brand in a market that is considered very difficult for more contemporary, modern designs. I’m absolutely delighted with the stories and ideas behind her collections and with the path that led her to her jewelry career.
All the ideas behind her collections are extremely personal, humorous and have a very special meaning. For instance, the Homesickness collection started off because Malin was homesick so she created a pendant representing the map of her hometown. From there it evolved into a whole collection of places that people miss. I love the story behind her Conception collection. Malin was visiting the US and saw some Pro-life demonstrators aggressively insulting people and pushing their opinion on passersby. What really shocked her was the way they were doing it, so when she went back to the studio, she sat down and created a pair of earrings that represented the sperm fertilizing the egg. Since then, the collection evolved into a celebration of life, with some very funny stories, like a client who wore the conception pendant to the fertility clinic and got pregnant. Another beautiful story is the concept behind Malin’s Mesh collection. The idea comes from a crochet that her grandmother was creating and the hollow parts it created. This gave her the idea to create a collection in metal that would represent the same idea.
Malin Ohlsson Jewellery
Site: http://malinohlsson.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malinjewellery/
What attracts you to jewelry?
“To create a sentimental value and to make the jewellery fit the wearers personality. And to be able to adorn someone with what you make”
What do you like the most about your studio?
“That it actually exists! It took me 1 year after moving to Hong Kong to be able to find somewhere to work from”
What do you love & hate doing at the bench?
” Love: saw piercing and soldering. Hate: emering. “
What’s the first thing you do when you get to the studio?
“Turn on the air-conditioning! But if there is someone in there already , we have to catch up a little bit first.”
What’s your favorite spot on the studio?
“My bench.”
What piece of jewelry do you always wear?
“My homesickness pendant of where I am from in Sweden. My first part of the collection I ever made about 8 years ago, when I moved far away from home. It has since developed into a whole collection of places that people miss.”
What’s on your desk right now?
“We are getting married in less than a month, so my fiancé’s wedding band”.
How would you describe your studio?
” Cosy, hidden little gem, my HK Oasis”
Pick 3 objects in your studio that make your space yours
“My red toolbox, my little vernier calipers ( I know everybody has them but I feel they’re my best friend at the studio)
Favorite tool?
“My ring bender. I bought it in Sweden, have never been able to find it anywhere else. Makes your life so much easier when making rings.”
Weirdest or funniest story with a client?
“Don’t know if this is that funny or weird, but it’s a nice one. A client bought one of my conception collection pendants (it is exactly what it sounds like: sperm & egg ). She told me they had been trying to conceive for a long time and she would wear the pendant as a lucky charm to the fertility clinic. And it worked! I take full responsibility for the success.”