Ildar Wafin on Art, Identity, and Inspiration
Interview – Kadriia Sungatullina
At the beginning of November I travelled to Helsinki, Finland to meet with Ildar Wafin, a jewellery designer that recently won “New Talent” in the Finnish Fashion Awards. Wafin connects his Tatar Identity and Finnish nature in his designs. In this interview we talk about what inspires him, his history in making jewellery, and what he hopes people will take away from wearing his creations.
Ildar Wafin. Photo: Screenshot from profile @ildar.wafin / Instagram
I sat down with Ildar at Mattocenter, Wafin’s family-owned carpet and hand-made pieces shop in Helsinki. The family welcomed me and Ildar made us some green tea to start our cosy conversation.
What inspired you to start creating jewellery and how does your Finnish and Tatar heritage influence your designs?
— I've been actually making jewellery ever since I was a little kid. My mom is an elementary school teacher, and she specialises in teaching crafts. Therefore, I always had some kind of project going on, crafting something, painting. I had been doing this for many years.
Helsinki by night. Photo: Kadriia Sungatullina / PRESSET
During periods when Ildar was home from school due to an autoimmune illness, these projects became a vital distraction. “I started making small animals and plants from tiny plastic beads and metal wire, with my mom helping me a lot with the technical aspects.” By the time he was nine or ten, Ildar had begun knotting tiny freshwater pearls and selling them to neighbourhood ladies, marking his first entrepreneurial venture. After a break from designing, Ildar found himself at a crossroads upon graduating. “What should I do with my life?” he recalls. This led him to apply to various universities, eventually being accepted into the jewellery design program at Lahti University of Applied Sciences. “Studying there reignited my passion for designing and creating,” he says.
Wafin's passion deepened further when his first jewellery collection, Öleșlär, was selected as a finalist in the prestigious Hyères competition in France:
— After that I applied to a master's degree program. I studied in London at the Royal College of Art in the Jewellery and Metal department. Before that I had applied with my first jewellery collection called Öleșlär into a competition in France, in Hyères, a small town close to Nice. I got chosen into the finals, in the accessories category. This was huge for me because the competition was organised with companies such as Chanel, LVMH and Hermes. Very big brands, so it was a big opportunity for me. That helped me when I was applying to my master's degree in London.
— While doing my master's degree I did an internship at Louis Vuitton at the men's fashion jewellery department as a junior designer. Then I graduated from my university, and as my final work I created the Šhüräle collection. The collection is a combination of my Finnish heritage, but also it's mainly an interpretation of the Tatar fairytales based on the folklore stories. Mainly the story of Šhüräle, it's creepy, but at the same time it's very fascinating. I was very interested to find a point of view that doesn't include Islamic religion, because I've been struggling with finding my own way of interpreting Tatar culture that doesn't necessarily need to have the religious part in it.
“These stories are very interesting because they kind of have a moral compass to teach you about the way we treat nature or how we interact with nature.”
— A lot of Tatar events, or festivals, are tied with religion. Therefore, I needed to find my own version. That is why folklore stories were nice in that sense. Most of them don't have religion in them. These stories are very interesting because they kind of have a moral compass to teach you about the way we treat nature or how we interact with nature. Šhüräle was very exciting to me because the character, it's like a troll I would say, or a hybrid between a human and something living in the forest. Šhüräle is described with the long nails and the tree bark-like skin. It looks like a tree as well. It was so fascinating to me and that's why I chose it to be a part of my final collection at the Royal College of Art (RCA).
“It was kind of a body of work for myself as well, because I wanted to clarify things about my own Tatar identity and being Finnish as well.”
Šhüräle. Photo: Kadriia Sungatullina / PRESSET.
— I also got the visual inspiration from the forests and nature in Finland. I was living in Finland because of Covid and doing my final year studies at the RCA remotely from Finland. Therefore, I just chose to interpret the Šhüräle stories and poems by Ğabdulla Tuqay through the nature in Finland. It was kind of a body of work for myself as well, because I wanted to clarify things about my own Tatar identity and being Finnish as well.
Such an interesting concept. You connected it so well! I was thinking about it when I read Šhüräle in my childhood. It really lives in my heart, but it also scared me a lot as a kid.
— Basically, Šhüräle will tickle you to death. I was so afraid of tickling, so that was my nightmare, too.
Can you tell us about a specific piece of jewellery that holds special meaning for you?
— I think... That's a difficult question. I would say...Maybe the Shürale ring, which I have here for you, actually. That piece, but I would also say the Ekiyet necklace as well.
— It is so awesome that I can do this, that I have the ability and the technical knowledge to make jewellery. To use my heritage for it. As a concept it's very interesting to me. But I would say this piece (Ekiyet necklace) is one of the most special ones for me from the collection. Because of the amount of time it took for me to make this. It was a two-week process of working every day. Firstly, I had to sketch design. Then sculpting each piece by hand, casting, then polishing it, connecting, soldering each piece together and then setting the stones.
— This is a very dear piece for me. There are different motifs that I used from the Finnish nature, such as the seaweed from the seaside, and an actual tree bark which I cast in silver. I just went to the forest and grabbed pieces of tree bark that I really liked. All the other pieces are handmade. And then Jared Leto wore the piece as well.
Wow! Congratulations!
— Thank you!
Jewellery by Ildar Wafin. Photo: Kadriia Sungatullina/ PRESSET.
How do you balance traditional cultural elements with modern design in your jewellery?
— I think since the research I'm doing is based on very traditional material already, or at least I wouldn't say it's very contemporary. Even for me reading the old texts by Ğabdulla Tuqay or other folklore stories might be difficult. They are written in super old Tatar language dialect. I can understand it, but it took me a very long time to read Šhüräle because the words are very different than what we use nowadays.
Ildar explains that he aims to balance traditional research with contemporary design. “The research part is quite traditional, so I try to create something much more contemporary in my designs,” he says. He enjoys the freedom that comes with the visual aspect of the process but emphasizes the importance of staying connected to his roots. “I love having more freedom in the visual part of the journey, but I always try to find some reference, even in the visual side,” he adds.
Wafin actively shares his work on Instagram under the username @ildar.wafin, where he has a following of 2,053 people. His content includes a mix of his contemporary jewellery designs, behind-the-scenes looks at his creative process, and cultural inspirations rooted in his Finnish and Tatar heritage. Through visually engaging posts and storytelling, he connects with his audience by presenting the fusion of traditional elements with modern design.
By combining the visual and interactive nature of social media, Ildar not only builds a personal connection with his audience but also effectively promotes his work, demonstrating how platforms like Instagram can be powerful tools for selling art and jewellery.
Do you use social media to promote your work?
— I should be using social media much, much more, because it's very important. You can really reach an audience from around the world through it. I've also had lots of sales through social media. When I post about my pieces, people are like “how much does this piece cost?”, or “can you make a custom piece of this?”. I would say 95% of all are when stylists approach me and ask if they can borrow my pieces. For instance, Jared Leto is the latest example. It happens through social media, so that's a very important tool for my work.
I saw your piece on Jared Leto. It's so interesting because he's wearing a piece made by you inspired by Tatar culture. The worlds collided.
— I could never imagine that it would happen. Thank you!
What do you hope people will take away from wearing your jewellery?
— My hope is to find out about the new narratives and stories my pieces create in people's lives. It is an aspect that I cannot control and it's even more interesting because of that.
Wafin finds joy in hearing from people about the memories and stories they've created while wearing his jewellery pieces. He often receives feedback that his designs serve as conversation starters, bringing people together and fostering new connections. As he shares, "It's nice to be a part of that. A part of creating new connections between different people with my pieces." He has found it particularly meaningful when Tatar individuals tell him that his designs help them channel their identity and serve as a material representation of their heritage.
— I think it's up for each person to decide which part they want to symbolize or identify with my pieces. It is super exciting for me to see how the narrative that I created develops when people start wearing my jewellery.
“It's nice to be a part of that. A part of creating new connections between different people with my pieces”
Jewellery as a medium for connection
Ildar Wafin’s jewellery bridges his Tatar heritage and Finnish inspiration, crafting meaningful pieces that tell stories of identity and connection. Blending tradition with modern design, his work represents cultural narratives while inviting others to create their own. As his artistry gains global recognition, Wafin proves that jewellery can become a powerful medium for storytelling and dialogue.