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Menaka Ram

"My name is Menaka Ram. You can remember my last name easily just by thinking of the god Ram, the hero of the Indian epic Ramayana. My story is quite different from Ram's though. One day, one of my jewelry pieces broke. That's when I noticed all of my lovely gems lying around, so I started stringing them back together with copper wire. I wore my recreated piece, now reborn, and everyone said it looks so much better than what it was before. So here I find myself, exploring further and further, taking you along to share my journey.

"Being interested in handmade art, I was browsing through Batsford's Encyclopedia of Craft when I came upon the explanation of the enamel process. I was fascinated and captivated. It's so tedious yet so amazing, because you can produce exquisite pieces through color combinations dictated by fire. Like an explorer, I searched for a workshop specializing in this art and found Veenu Sha's Enamelist Society. From that time, I was converted and made enamel work the centerpiece of my jewelry. When I finish an exquisite piece, I'm moved by its beauty so I venture deeper and deeper into the intricacies of this art.

"In the Enamelist Society Exhibition held in October of 2007, Salma Ansari, the wife of India's Vice President came up to me, complimenting me on my piece. I humbly said, 'It's the fire god who dictates the outcome of each piece.' But then she replied, 'I think the strong fire inside you went and met the fire god inside the kiln to make these beautiful pieces.'

"There is truth in that. For me, enamel is a passion, a medium where colors, hues and radiance are captured by fire gods inside my kiln. When I succeed in adding my creativity to make it aesthetically appealing, it is sheer bliss. When a piece breaks, my heart breaks –but I don't give up, just as when I transformed the old broken piece. Because now I know it can become better than ever before.

"I've done my master's in history from Delhi University, where I studied the Mathruas school of art, the indigenous art of India, the Gandhra school of art, which bears a lot of Grecian influence, and the fascinating arts of foreign cultures. This synthesis of the world's art has stayed with me, where it's transformed into the art pieces I make.

"The muse in my work is Matara, the Indian epitome of a bejeweled woman draped with the most beautiful and exotic jewelry. She's an example of how women can look radiant with the right accessories. I think jewelry binds us women. No matter what our culture, wanting to look good is a pervading influence on a woman's life. The right piece has the capacity to make one feel good and on top of the world.

"In the same way, I create my jewelry with a full heart. The colors and gems radiate harmony. I include at least one of the nine gems or navaratnas believed to be auspicious in my handmade jewelry. Because ultimately I'd like my pieces to bring you luck and happiness, not just beauty."