Dashi Namdakov is a famous sculptor and goldsmith, whose works have a distinctly unique auctorial style based on the elements inherent to the Central Asian culture and Buddhist motifs. His works are present in the collections of the Hermitage, Tretyakov Gallery, State Museum of Oriental Art, Tibet House in New York, Museum of Art in Guangzhou in China; they are treasured in the private collections of Vladimir Putin, Gerhard Schroeder, Mintimer Shaimiev and Roman Abramovich and also by famous collectors in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, the United States and Taiwan. The Moscow-based Dashi Art Studio represented Russia at international art events in Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Dashi Namdakov holds the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of culture (2009).
You have held solo exhibitions at the Tretyakov Gallery and the Hermitage. This is probably the ultimate dream for any artist?
Of course, this is a great honor for me. These exhibitions featured the best of my recent works. And before that there was a solo exhibition of my sculpture and jewelry collection at the Museum of Oriental Art, New York's Tibet House and Beijing's Millennium.
You are very original, and it is evident that you are not bound to follow Western fashion standards. However, in Europe there are many admirers of your art. How do you explain it?
Artistically, my ties with the West are mostly focused in manufacturing technologies. I have a workshop in Italy, where I worked a lot in recent years. There's a unique school of casting giving an opportunity to attain high-quality plastic effects. I work in the segment of exclusive jewelry – my job lots are small, if not single copies. My works are closer to small-size sculpture than to the traditional notion of jewelry, they are more like artifacts, although designed to be worn and made of precious metals and stones. Sometimes, making a single piece takes a few months of work. My ideas are embodied by a superb team of jewelers – I spent three years to bring together the best of the best.
It seems that the world of jewelry has seen everything, except for such a subtle, refined and charming East in immaculate Western quality performance... Does this symbiosis involve your presence on “global jewelry crossroads”?
Yes, I feel a growing interest to our projects and I am very happy about that. At the moment, we are in anticipation of opening a boutique in London – we are currently negotiating the matter.
They say that your jewelry pieces are worn by actress Uma Thurman and that her family is involved in your projects?
Yes, because Uma’s father, Professor Robert Thurman, is a prominent researcher of Buddhism and a friend of the Dalai Lama. His family helped me in organizing the exhibition in New York at Tibet House.
What kind of materials do you prefer – silver, gold?
I like to work with any materials. I am largely indifferent to the cost of metal and the main thing for me is to make it translate my idea or image. I am very fond of bronze - I consider it the noblest of metals.
And what about stones?
I work a lot with natural sapphires - I like large sapphires and stones of the first class, but not of the highest quality, I like them more pristine since I'm trying to tame them in my own way, I am processing them myself giving them some shape and volume.
Do you use diamonds in your work?
I have a lot of things with diamonds - working with these gems is always fascinating. I like to emphasize the volume, so when making a silhouette of an animal I stud it with diamonds, sometimes black, for they emphasize the character and transmit the mood - depending on the concept.
Are you making jewelry on customers’ orders meeting their tastes?
Never. I have always been independent and always made things I like – things that I would wear myself or someone of my very special ones.
Galina Semyonova, Rough&Polished
