"Maksymade" is a Polish silversmith and jewelry artist whose work bridges tradition, symbolism, and contemporary design. With a background rooted in classical training and a creative vision shaped by travel, folklore, and sculpture, Maksymade creates pieces that blur the line between adornment and art object. His practice is grounded in both digital innovation and centuries-old techniques—each piece a quiet conversation between material and meaning.
For Maksymade, art has always been a natural language—something that grew with him from early childhood. Encouraged by a creative spirit and the opportunity to travel across Europe with his parents, visiting museums and encountering art firsthand, his relationship with creativity was nurtured from the beginning. While his family initially envisioned a future in medicine for him, it was in high school that he made the conscious decision to pursue a life in the arts instead—choosing passion over expectations.
His path into jewelry began during his bachelor’s studies at the University of Brighton in the UK, where he was introduced to the fundamentals of goldsmithing and silversmithing. That experience sparked a deeper interest in working with metal. After graduating, he was accepted into the Bishopsland Educational Trust, a highly regarded postgraduate program focused on traditional silversmithing. There, he had the rare opportunity to learn directly from some of the most respected British silversmiths and goldsmiths—an experience that deeply shaped both his technical ability and artistic perspective.
This foundation later led him to a professional position at one of the few remaining silverware companies in Switzerland with an in-house silversmithing workshop. Working in such a setting allowed him to refine his craft through hands-on production and immerse himself fully in traditional techniques.
Maksymade’s influences span fashion, symbolism, and sculpture. Among those who have left a strong mark on his work is Alexander McQueen—not only through his designs, but also through the complexity of his personal story. He’s also deeply inspired by the Symbolist movement, particularly in Poland, and the metaphysical undertones that defined many of its artists. These themes often surface in his own practice, through form, atmosphere, and meaning. More recently, the monumental textile sculptures of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz became a direct source of inspiration for his latest jewelry pieces—especially in the way he thinks about volume, gesture, and presence.
His creative process is deeply material-driven. While he begins with loose sketches to collect ideas, he quickly moves into working directly with metal—allowing the material to guide the shape and direction of each piece. Despite its hardness, metal reveals surprising malleability and personality, and Maksymade enjoys letting that dialogue shape the outcome. In recent years, he’s also incorporated 3D modeling into his workflow, which has opened up new possibilities. He now designs some pieces digitally and later casts and finishes them using traditional methods, while also continuing to make one-off works entirely by hand.
Inspiration plays a central role in his work, and he sees it as something ever-present—hidden in nature, in everyday moments, or in the work of other artists. Sculpture, in particular, has a strong influence on his jewelry, which often leans toward the sculptural in both form and intention. Cultural references are also key: after leaving home, Maksymade lived in different countries, and this exposure to diverse cultures, languages, and traditions has enriched his practice. At the same time, he remains strongly connected to his own roots. Slavic folklore and mythology frequently appear in his pieces—manifesting in symbols, abstract forms, and underlying narrative themes.
He’s honest about the challenges of being an independent artist today. Making a living through creative work means taking on multiple roles at once: designer, maker, photographer, editor, marketer—and more. At times, the weight of all those responsibilities is heavy, but it also allows for complete creative control. When things align, he says, it’s deeply satisfying to know he’s carried the process from start to finish on his own.
One of the ongoing challenges in his artistic practice is balancing creative freedom with technical feasibility. Ideas often come freely, but turning them into wearable, functional objects can be complex. This tension between imagination and practicality is one of the defining features of jewelry-making—and something he’s continually learning to navigate. Fortunately, this doesn’t apply to his painting or sculptural explorations, which offer him more open ground.
When he feels stuck, he’s learned to step back and give the piece space. A lesson from his painting days continues to resonate with him: sometimes art makes itself—if you give it time. Returning to a problem with fresh eyes often reveals new solutions that weren’t visible before.
Feedback, for him, is a useful tool rather than something personal. He’s learned to extract what’s useful and leave the rest, trusting that critique is part of growth but doesn’t define him or his work.
His creative drive is sustained by the ideas that live in his head—visions of finished pieces that push him to keep making. Even when the final result turns out differently from the original vision, it often surprises him for the better. That, to him, is one of the most rewarding aspects of the process.
He sees the contemporary jewelry scene as diverse and full of possibilities. Rather than feeling restricted by trends or market expectations, he’s still exploring how his work fits into the broader field. True success, for him, means creative freedom—being able to make what he imagines without compromise, while still sustaining his practice and growing new projects.
Looking ahead, Maksymade hopes to create jewelry pieces for haute couture runways—large-scale, sculptural, wearable artworks that blur the line between fashion and fine art.
His studio is his most intimate space—a place where ideas become tangible, and where he feels most aligned with his creative self. He's eager to explore new techniques like enameling and filigree and plans to return to large-scale silversmithing work in the near future.
Many of his pieces carry personal meaning, making it difficult to single out just one. But he recalls a turning point: while working in Switzerland, he found himself stuck creatively—until someone close to him gave him the encouragement he needed to start making again. That moment sparked the birth of his own brand, and he remains deeply grateful for it.
If there’s one belief that guides him, it’s this:
Art is everywhere—you just have to be willing to see it.
Instagram: @maksymade
