Jewelry avant-garde by Herman Kabirski
For lovers of unusual, intricately shaped jewelry, pieces from the Herman Kabirski collection are quite suitable. All his works are made in an avant-garde style, through which the author conveys his vision of the world.
German is completely immersed in his inner world, does not communicate with journalists, and never attends social events. He is mysterious, just like his precious products. However, the designer’s true passion is his family; each new product can be seen on members of the household. The designer's wife is delighted with his jewelry and wears it with great joy. His two daughters, like their father, prefer to stay away from the busy public life. Kabirski feels much calmer working with precious stones than in party places.
He considers himself not a jeweler, but a designer, and recommends that beginners learn the craft of jewelry when mastering the art of design. In his opinion, a design specialist should have his own individual view of any item, and not refer to existing traditions and not be kept within the framework of jewelry production. He also believes that the price of a product should be determined by the harmonious cost of the material and the ingenuity of the professional, and not by his arrogance and the prices of the world's natural resources.
Herman's enterprises exist in Russia, Bangkok and America. His favorite stones are tourmalines, multi-colored sapphires, as well as “living” gems that have natural defects. The designer uses geometric shapes and figures in his style. In his work, he uses materials that other jewelers would not pay attention to. Among the world's jewelry brands, the artist gives special preference to David Yurman. The works of this company are close to him in spirit.
Cockroaches by Herman Kabirski
The works of Herman Kabirski stand out from other jewelry, like alien artifacts from Christmas decorations. The author is a match for them: talented, smart, sometimes offensively honest, with a full set of personal cockroaches. One of them, by the way, is real.
Interview Vyacheslav Gushchin
Herman, you usually refuse to communicate with the press: over decades of work, you have given only three or four interviews. Why? Is there some personal reason or is it part of the image? Image has nothing to do with it. Sometimes, when I read interviews with people I’m interested in, I notice how my attitude towards these characters changes, depending on how well they say it. I'm stagnant, so I don't think an interview with me reflects who I am at all. And I consider giving an interview for the sake of an interview stupidity, pleasing only to a narcissist. Do you know what influenced the decision to give you an interview? Recently I changed my mind, and the question of communicating with journalists is decided by tossing a coin. If it lands on heads, I agree; if it lands on tails, I refuse. It doesn't matter who is interviewing.
You once stated that you do not consider yourself a jeweler. And equally, you don’t want to be called a designer. Who are you then? A jeweler is a craftsman. A designer is, first of all, a constructor of the outer shell. Both are characterized by perfectionism, because before creating anything, they set themselves a clear goal, an image that needs to be reproduced as perfectly as possible. I am a chaotic intuitionist, my goal changes many times as the jewelry is made. I'm more of an artist. For a true artist, logic, like a house of cards, collapses under the pressure of the elements of the subconscious, and the meaning of the word “perfectionism” disappears.
You said that you work very hard. How much is a lot? I expressed myself incorrectly. I don’t like to work: work is violence against myself, I’m too lazy for it. I do what I love, and this work has sucked me in, making me jealous even of my loved ones. And with him I am most free, so it would be more correct to ask when I work...
Some of your works suggest natural forms, others evoke thoughts of avant-garde... Where do you get your ideas from? What inspires you? Today it can hardly be called avant-garde, rather postmodern and eclectic. What inspires me... People. People I'm incredibly jealous of. Mostly white envy. Usually these are artists, composers, often poets - many others, just not people of my profession.
Do you always only use stones with defects? What is the reason? These are not defects, this is an incorrect expression. It would be more correct - stones with a rich inner life. This life took millions of years to form, leaving traces of internal disturbances. They are alive. Therefore, I do not use synthetic stones or stones that have undergone any processing. Naturally pure stones do not evoke such a response in me.
You call your products ugly. Do you really not like them that much? Or is this fake? Aren't they freaks? They do not at all correspond to the generally accepted concept of jewelry. When I started they were truly one of a kind. And on the counter, among other products, they hurt the eyes with their irregularity, standing out like a hunchback in a line of ballerinas. Then I realized that they needed their own space, a freak field. Now a lot of similar things have appeared both in the West and in Russia. But they are not interesting to me, since they are secondary, and therefore the author’s internal struggle is not visible there. Yes, these are my freaks, the children of a bad parent who doesn’t particularly value them, but gives them life.
You have created a wide variety of jewelry. How many models are there in total? I've never done any calculations. There are thousands of them. Sometimes works pop up in different parts of the world, and the owners claim they are mine. I feel like yes, it’s close, but I can’t remember, there were a lot of them.
From the outside, the inexhaustible flow of new forms looks like a search for something... perhaps perfection. Do you hope to one day create a magnum opus? The end goal is disastrous, and thank God I'm too fickle to set any goals at all. I just talk to myself this way - through my works, pouring out in them everything that “tugs” at me in life. I'm an empath and an introvert. Talking to them is a kind of therapy: in this way I look for answers within myself, but I haven’t found them yet. That’s why I treat the works as if they were my own diseased flesh, which I’ve already cut out, and its further fate interests me little.
You stated that in life you are a rather unpleasant person. What does this mean? I'm flirting, or rather, putting a block against possible criticism. My loved ones consider me difficult, but someone who is not boring to be with, because of my character. Yes, I'm vulnerable and hot-tempered, it's true. But I try not to express this publicly. Although when communicating I am quite easy to read, I open up easily.
You are known for regularly gifting your work to complete strangers. Why are you doing this? Just for fun? Previously, when I was younger, I would go to some restaurant - naturally, if money allowed - I would find a table where some interesting woman was sitting alone or in company, and incognito order a bottle of expensive wine for her. I never “burned” myself and got a special thrill from it. Now I would also like to give my works to people incognito, but this is impossible, since I don’t know the addresses of the recipients, and it’s not difficult to figure out the sender. Yes, this is my personal thrill, my ego constantly asks for it. It may seem that I am very rich, but this is not so. Just for the thrill, I am sometimes ready to give my last shirt. Just not a cigarette.
You have many fans on social networks. I bet that a significant part of them, deep down in their hearts, dreams of receiving a gift from you. They would be interested to know by what criteria you choose the lucky girl worthy of the gift. What motivates you to send jewelry to a stranger: looks? Some of her words? Something else? No, this is a random choice. I open my friends list and scroll through it, blindly poking. If this is a man or woman who has already received a gift, I repeat the procedure. This year, I’ll probably choose among my subscribers.
Your brand name is a cockroach. Quite an unusual choice for a jewelry brand. How did this insect appear? I got a cockroach about ten years ago. I somehow decided to study it, turned it over and took a magnifying glass. It seemed so perfect and beautiful to me that I decided not to part with it. After some time, I came across the book “Cockroach” by Tyler Knox, and it convinced me that I had made the right choice. I'll tell you one story. About five years ago, there was a small red cockroach living on my desk. We got so used to each other that he could easily eat bread crumbs from my hands and could watch me work for hours. It was a kind of friendship where I felt very comfortable in silence next to him. Then he disappeared. A week later I was in the hospital with a fatal diagnosis. Two years of hospitals, surgery, change of residence... And now he appeared on my table again. No, not him, of course, his twin. This is all true.
There is literally a criminal story connected with the appearance of your pseudonym - Kabirski. Could you tell us more about this? This happened in a past life. Many of the defendants are no longer alive or are in places not so remote, although they were once very influential. I can only say that today I do not feel any resentment or anger towards any of them. I am grateful to them, they helped me understand a lot and change a lot in my life. I don’t see the point in going into detail; this is a turned page of my life.
You once said that your colleagues do not like you, thinking that you are arrogant. They are right? Are you arrogant? He's arrogant... I don't know, it's not for me to judge. Perhaps this is because I prefer to this community the company of people of other creative professions or simply “people from the plow”. I'm really not interested in all this professional "on topic" talk. I usually resolve all professional issues in private; I’m an introvert. And he is cynical enough about himself to believe that there is at least some reason to consider himself better than any of his colleagues.
Last year you announced that you were developing a Freak Theater franchise. Is this work completed? The idea for the franchise was suggested by friends. Two reasons prompted me to do this. The first is proposals from people from different countries to open a boutique in their region. The second is the dominance of all sorts of fakes passed off as my works. Consultations with experts in this field, especially those associated with international franchising, cooled my ardor a little. It turned out to be quite difficult. But I won't give up on this idea.
Some time ago you announced the creation of a collection of jewelry for men. According to you, the men's collection will embody anger and fear. Why exactly these emotions that are considered negative? Or is it something that lives inside of you? Yes, anger and fear are exactly the fuel that a man needs to succeed - either as a villain or as a righteous person - sublimating them into love. This lives in me too. I'll do a little coming out. I am a complete sexist and against blurring the boundaries between the sexes. But not in the Arab sense - rather a sexist of the European type at the end of the 19th century. It was the sexists who glorified the love of women and placed them on a pedestal in their works from the Renaissance to the present day. All the pearls of literature, painting, music and so on were created by sexists. The male gender has never given me any inspiration, but I decided to change myself and create something for sexist men like me who do not wear jewelry. It's complicated. Moreover, before I did not create products “for people”: I simply did what I wanted. I can only say that the collection will be considered completed only when I myself decide to wear something from it.
If the men's collection is going to be sexist, how do you see women choosing Kabirski jewelry? You know, it's a paradox. My works are often chosen by women who are close to feminism, those who are used to making decisions in life without relying on a man. These are mainly European and Russian women. It would seem that my works are very “masculine”, devoid of any perfectionism and “glossy” jewelry gloss. But no, they are close to my marginal aesthetics. A fight of opposites? I don't know…
Herman, you say that you do not value the results of your work, that success means nothing to you. But, on the other hand, you participate in exhibitions, think about a franchise, develop and promote your brand. How do these opposites coexist in you: creator and businessman? As soon as I begin to appreciate my work, consider me dead as a creative person. In my understanding, success is harmony with yourself. I haven't achieved it. Success in the generally accepted sense is tinsel. I'm not a businessman. A businessman cannot afford to operate at a loss. I do this all the time. I feel more comfortable not depending on the wishes of others, although this greatly impacts my income. I always do what I want, not what is more profitable. But people like it, that’s why my works are bought in different countries of the world. I don’t deal with the commercial part, I trust others to do that. Regarding exhibitions. I haven't participated in them for a long time. Even before, when I participated, I never nominated myself for any nominations—others did this, of their own free will. Just imagine: you can only rely on yourself, there are no sponsors, no loans, there is only desire. It’s just with this desire, to the detriment of my loved ones, that I previously participated in exhibitions in America, Europe and Asia. And in order for you to be remembered and serious cooperation to begin, you need to exhibit at one exhibition five times, otherwise you will quickly be forgotten. It was a little easier for me, since my style of work does not have a characteristic “Russian” or other style, it resonated well against the background of the others. Almost all of my wholesale clients are from America, Australia, Europe - mostly companies from the past, when I participated in exhibitions. Now I rarely exhibit, except in person. Last year in Tbilisi, this year in Vancouver. Just the other day, the Russian Embassy offered, under its patronage, to make a presentation for the local elite and diplomats from different countries in Bangkok. Although I’m not sure that I need it, I agreed.
If you weren't a jeweler, what would you be doing? Perhaps I would have chosen applied science. But, quite possibly, he could have become an alcoholic or a drug addict. I had a difficult youth. They say you can tell a lot about a person by what books he reads and what music he listens to... By and large, I am an omnivore. Sometimes I can listen or watch any kitsch and extract something valuable from it, some new meanings. I have trouble remembering everything I read or hear, but at the subconscious level a certain synthesis occurs, creating my own world from thousands of small information inputs. I have come across people who have excellent memory and rational thinking; they easily and skillfully use other people's thoughts in their speech. But in the part of the brain responsible for creative processes, they have an absolute hole. I feel sorry for them, and I’m glad that everything is arranged differently for me. Now I’m reading the sequel to the novel “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts. When I work, I listen to different radio broadcasts, lectures or music. For example, in recent days I have been listening to lectures by Alexander Pyatigorsky, he is magnificent. I also love different types of music: from classical to African ethnic.
What is the meaning of life according to Herman Kabirski? In pleasure. All other meanings are subordinate to it. Some derive pleasure from suffering, self-sacrifice, others from animal instincts, violence, and others from mental processes. Life without pleasure is meaningless for a person, although it may benefit others. If you look at life from this angle, then people can be divided into two parts: those who live and receive pleasure only from themselves, and those who live for others, but for pleasure. The first ones are ordinary parasites, the second ones are closer to me. But the world is beautiful in its diversity, we need all kinds. We are only atoms in this universe, and the time allotted to us to live is a fraction of a second on the scale of the universe, so it is blasphemous to spend it on something that is not interesting to you.
FACTS German Kabirski was born and raised in Dagestan. Lives and works in Thailand. Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming an artist, but, having seriously injured my hand, I lost the ability to draw. She creates all jewelry without sketches—immediately in metal or wax. Herman Kabirski is the winner of a number of professional awards: the Grand Prix of the International Jewelery Exhibition in St. Petersburg, the “Best Jeweler of the Year” award (Moscow), the prize in the category “Technical Excellence” at International Jewelery London, etc. Herman Kabirski designs all the jewelry alone . Kabirski never studied jewelry making. I learned everything myself. He believes that he was the first in Russia to use multilayer coatings, cast porous metal, etc. German Kabirsky is married and has two daughters.
Original technologies of the mysterious master
Any jewelry specialist, looking at Kabirski’s products, will think that the author is simply mocking precious materials. The gold in his jewelry does not sparkle, but emits a dull shine due to galvanic treatment. The oxidized copper coating the silver gives it a green, antique appearance. The designer's products are completely devoid of shine, but they attract with a variety of forms that express semantic and emotional richness.
The creator uses rhodium plating technology to give the product a black color. For texture, he widely uses tree bark, sand, lava, fabrics, etc. Each of his decorations has a unique setting that gives it lightness. Raw stones are encased in their own original setting.
Herman creates works without making sketches in advance, but at the moment of inspiration. Sketches appear after a new model has been created. The intricate ring he developed, represented by two open squiggles, to which, it seems, an unnecessary stone is attached, looks perfect on the finger.
Many women are captivated by Herman Kabirski’s brand jewelry with its originality.
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