Jayasri Burman has always known how to make a statement. A celebrated artist whose paintings and sculptures draw from mythology, nature, and the feminine, she is equally recognised for her distinctive sartorial style, dramatic neckpieces, and statement eyeglasses. Now, the style diva has taken her fascination with adornment a step further with Amlaan, her first jewellery collection. Nearly a decade in the making, Amlaan began as an experiment in translating her paintings and sculptures into another medium. A visit to the Venice Biennale, where she encountered Damien Hirst’s explorations across mediums, further inspired her to take her art beyond the canvas. “My journey into jewellery began quite instinctively, through my love for sculpture,” she says.
Far from conventional ornamentation, Amlaan draws on Burman’s visual vocabulary of sculptural forms, organic shapes, and expressive details. Indian mythology, particularly the stories of Radha and Krishna, Shiva and Parvati, Durga and Shakti, and the Rasa Leela, provides its central inspiration. She translates their emotions and symbolism into wearable forms. “Radha and Krishna evoke love and longing, Shiva and Parvati speak to companionship and the balance of energies, while Durga and Shakti embody the many dimensions of feminine power,” she says.
Nature is another defining influence. Growing up in Bengal, Burman was surrounded by images of the Mother Goddess adorned with elaborate jewellery and magnificent crowns. These early impressions, along with her fascination with flowers, foliage, water, and the changing colours of the sky, find expression in the collection.
Amlaan draws from Indian mythology, particularly the stories of Radha and Krishna, Shiva and Parvati, Durga and Shakti, and the Rasa Leela
Gold, in particular, forms the collection’s foundation, reflecting its associations with purity, permanence and the sacred. It also connects with Burman’s favourite shade, which she calls “Indian yellow”— the colour of sunlight, celebration and auspiciousness. “I was drawn to its warmth and purity. I wanted the jewellery to possess a sculptural quality rather than simply follow familiar ornamentation,” she says.
Translating her artistic forms into jewellery, however, required considerable experimentation and close collaboration with skilled artisans. Working with gold and silver presented challenges of scale, weight and craftsmanship. “Something that might appear effortless in a painting or sculpture has to be reconsidered when translated into gold or silver,” she explains.
Meaning pure, Amlaan encapsulates her vision of bringing art into everyday life. Unlike a painting, an ornament moves with its wearer, becoming part of their personal expression. “I believe that art can tell a story without having to explain itself, and jewellery can do the same,” she says.