JA New York: What inspires your designs?
Priyanka Murthy for Arya Esha: My background and experience inspires and informs my designs. Before I became a jewelry designer I practiced international law and was a political science scholar. As a result, I often dealt with concepts and theories. My work took me around the world; I have been to over 60 countries. I am inspired by certain ideas and concepts I’ve learned or developed over the years and I remember where I was when the idea or concept came to me, and what my surrounding looked like. So, the sketch of a piece of jewelry is really the recollection I have of the idea meeting the surroundings. Essentially, my designs are inspired by the juxtaposition of the intangible with the tangible.
JA New York—Walk us through your design process…
PM: The process starts with the gemstones and color pencil sketches drawn around the stone. At first, I put no limits or parameters on the sketches; it’s like brainstorming – there are no bad ideas. But then I start weeding out concepts and focus on a handful of pieces, the sketches for which serve as the “anchors.” Once the anchors have been established, the rest of the sketches focus on creating pieces that revolve around the anchors. So the process becomes more deliberate. After an entire collection has been sketched out, the production begins. My pieces are handmade by male artisans in India. I was born and spent my formative years in India, so I speak four Indian languages. It just so happens that the best jewelry artisans in India come from the same region of India as I, Bengal. So, I speak to them in my mother tongue Bengali. They are so meticulous and thoughtful in their approach. They don’t seem to mind my intensity. And they get my humor even in another language. So that’s an added bonus!
JA New York: What was your favorite part about exhibiting in the New Designer Gallery at the July 2015 show?
PM: The other designers were my favorite part. I loved being around such talent and seeing the strong and unique designs. I made some great friends in the New Designer Gallery. In fact, some us designers speak regularly via phone and share our insights and experiences. It helps to bounce ideas off of someone who is in the same boat.
JA New York: If a theme song played every time you walked into a room, what would it be?
PM: Well, if it is a work day and I am intense and focused then I think Can’t Hold Us Down by Macklemore & Ray would play. If I’m not working and just cutting loose, it would be Whitney Houston’s I Want to Dance with Somebody.