Janja Prokić and “the vital need to nurture one’s inner world”
In her new collection Eiréné, Janja Prokić turns to the iris. For her, the flower symbolizes quiet pride, determination, and loyalty to oneself. The jewelry in this collection was created with the wish to help its wearers listen to the harmony of their own soul.
What piece of jewelry are you wearing right now?
On my finger I wear my iris, a new ring with an emerald, a gemstone I have long desired. I’m fascinated by its vivid, unmistakable color as well as its symbolic link to the heart chakra. I bought this large round emerald as a reward for my inner journey. It is held by two irises that seem to lift it into the air. It has become my new talisman.
What is the spiritual symbolism of the emerald?
Across cultures, the emerald refers to the connection of worlds and the discovery of inner harmony. In all traditions it has been linked to a higher being and to the trust of surrendering to an order beyond us. Its green color soothes the mind and opens space for deeper insight, teaching us to perceive what is not immediately visible. The emerald reminds us of returning to ourselves, to the calm that comes when we are in harmony with who we truly are, in quiet trust that what is real comes to us at the right time.
Are there other gemstones in the collection besides the emerald?
I also worked with blue sapphire, which is described as a symbol of truth, loyalty, and faith. It is a stone that teaches us to trust our own inner self and subconscious, which, if we listen, unfailingly leads us to inner peace and harmony. The blue color of the sapphire seems to refer to the silent depths of the soul into which we descend when we truly want to meet ourselves.
Your collections always stem from some life experience.
With Eiréné, it was Hermann Hesse’s fairy tale The Iris. I bought the book eight years ago, and it sat in the cottage library for a long time. Only later, when I stayed there alone, did I pick it up. At the time, I was reading Heidegger, but after a few pages I realized it was not the kind of relaxing reading I needed then. So I reached for Hesse’s stories. I read The Irisperhaps five times in a row. The message of the tale struck me. I saw in it a parallel with my own life and with the lives of my loved ones and the people around me.
In what sense?
I perceive Hesse’s allegorical story on many levels, but perhaps the most essential is that we should live in harmony with ourselves and with what truly nourishes our soul. Not what is expected or prescribed. Personally, through such inner honesty with myself, I found my most natural place in solitude in the Lusatian Mountains. While many might have assumed I’d live in a big city, it is only in the silence of nature that I feel most connected to my soul.
What touched you most about the tale The Iris?
Most of all, the idea that we should let into our lives only those people and situations that resonate with our inner music. That we should not deny who we are or cross our own boundaries, but instead surround ourselves with people and things that respect and deepen our inner world. I believe that only through authentic openness and a willingness to dream can we truly return to ourselves.
How did the collection come about?
The entire collection was born at the cottage, where I create best. It is full of sculptural pieces, almost small body-sculptures. I missed sculpture. The collection is almost baroque in its lavishness and opulence. I return to intricate structures and volumes, and thus also to my jewelry roots. The aesthetics of Eiréné echo the Pre-Raphaelites, when art was deeply symbolic and emotional, often inspired by the mysticism of nature and spirituality. The Victorian era, which overlaps with the Pre-Raphaelites, also perceived jewelry as ritual objects bearing personal meaning, often invisible to others but crucial to the wearer. Jewelry was a story, a reminder, a hope, and a promise. That is close to me. I believe in the power of a quiet symbol that need not be loud, yet expresses what is most important.
What fascinates you about the iris as a flower?
I adore it in all its forms. I even have iris fragrance in my perfumes. I like the small, pointed varieties as well as the baroque, large blossoms. The iris is noble, understated, elegant. I perceive it almost as a being. I approach gemstones the same way — as something alive.
And how do you perceive the new collection philosophically?
Each collection reflects a stage of my life. I must create in order to live. And I create what I live. Last year, the key symbol for me was the moth. It leads us toward the light and pulls us away from a false path that does not belong to us. Thanks to it, I realized what I never want to give up: my inner world. I don’t want anyone to disrupt it, and my walk through the deep forest only confirmed that. That is why I wanted to work with the theme of the iris, in its quiet pride, determination, and stability. In its obviousness, but not arrogance.
So the iris teaches us to perceive our inner landscape.
Yes. The collection helped me clarify how I want to live and what my priorities are — not society’s priorities. Each of us has our own path, which may not align with the opinions of others. What matters is loyalty to oneself and trust in destiny. Society today imposes brutal demands: how we should look, speak, what relationships we should have. It is easy to get lost in this and stop fulfilling our own needs. And when this happens for too long, we stop hearing the melody of our soul that Hesse spoke of. I wanted to create visually powerful yet harmonious jewelry with deep meaning. The pieces from the collection symbolize inner strength, the courage to stand firmly, proudly, and fearlessly in truth. Jewelry is not just adornment, but an artifact reminding us of the journey inward. Irises can also be seen as flowers that do not dazzle with force, but with calm and certainty. I loved how Hesse describes the golden hairs on the lower leaves of the iris as a pathway for beetles. I translated this as a symbol of the path to our heart, inward. Because I believe that we see truth more with the heart than with the eyes.
The collection bears the name of the goddess Eiréné. Why?
Eiréné embodies peace, calm, and balance. She is the symbol of gentle strength that lies in silence and certainty, not in struggle. I wanted the collection to connect the symbolism of the iris as a path to the soul with the goddess Eiréné, the guardian of this inner landscape.
