Exclusive Interview with Meit Kamdar Avlanii

Meit Kamdar Avlanii

A designer lives and breathes his creation. It becomes him and he, it. Such is the story of Meit Kamdar Avlanii, a jewelry designer from Mumbai, India. Here are excerpts from a recent interview with him.

Mr. Meit, what drove you towards jewelry designing?

A. It was a definitive point in my life when I was 25. By then, I had earned my business degree and started a textile business in Africa, but there was always a void because I wasn't able to pursue my heart's desire, which was to be creative, to do something that allowed me to push my boundaries and test myself. At 25, I found myself at a crossroads, and I decided that to be happy, I must do what gives me the most joy. That answer lay in jewelry designing, and since that day, there's been no looking back.

What can you tell us about your personal life?

A. I like being with the elements. I guess you can say I am someone who's in love with the great outdoors. When time permits, I love to spend my time in the wild on safaris and scuba diving. Apart from nature, I also love to expand the horizon of my mind by reading books on history, mythology, architecture, and of course, design.

How has your culture influenced your work?

A. India is exotic, but it's when you truly engage with its history as an artisan that it begins to reveal its beauty to you. Its exotic persona is just a guard to keep charlatans away. Indian culture is an amalgamation of various ancient and diverse ethnicities and styles. To an outsider it's all the same but for an artist and an Indian, its true beauty lies in what it hides, and that, in my opinion, are ideas that keep it inspired. Hard work, patience, love, and devotion are some of the things that have helped me along my journey.

Meit Kamdar Avlanii is an inspired individual, and his love for his craft is clear as day. Here's wishing him good luck.