MEET OUR SPEAKERS
We’re thrilled to welcome a lineup of inspiring artists who will share their knowledge, insights, and personal journeys with polymer clay, art, and design. The first full day of our event will be devoted to engaging presentations designed to spark creativity and connection.
MARTINA BURIANOVÁ
Martina Burianová is a Czech polymer clay artist and tutor known for her elegant, organic jewelry with imitations of natural materials and structures. Her previous experience designing for a goldsmith’s jewelry workshop shaped her attention to detail, precision, and perfectly finished pieces. She dedicates every free moment to discovering new techniques and developing unexpected combinations of materials. For several years, Martina has also been teaching workshops across Europe, inspiring students to transform her techniques into their own unique creations.
THE JOY OF CREATING
“For more than 10 years, I have been searching for new ways to transform inspiration into an original piece of jewelry, discover my own techniques, and combine both the aesthetic and structural aspects of a design,” says Martina, inviting you to her presentation.
Every piece of jewelry that comes from her hands is different, with its own story, inspiration, and process behind it. In this talk, Martina will take you through the journey from the first idea, through experimenting and exploring, to the finished piece, while talking about finding your own style, searching for inspiration, and the joy of creating.
ANDREEA CORPODEAN
With a background in marketing, geography, and tourism, Andreea Corpodean from Romania has always been a creative person, exploring many artistic mediums over the years. Around ten years ago, she discovered polymer clay, a material that deeply resonated with her and drew her into the slow, detailed nature of the process, where patience becomes part of her artwork.
THE SIDE NOBODY SEES
Andreea’s presentation explores the often overlooked back of handmade jewelry and the creative possibilities hidden there. “I’ll share my journey from being embarrassed to sell my jewelry because of the way the backs looked, to making the hidden side an intentional part of my creative philosophy and the customer experience,” she says.
Together, we’ll explore how thoughtful back designs can add emotional, artistic, and business value to a piece, strengthen its story, increase its perceived value, and create a deeper connection with the person who wears it. Andreea will also share practical ideas for improving the back of your jewelry, from simple details to more elaborate concepts.
VERUSCHKA STEVENS
Former engineer, polymer clay artist, and entrepreneur, Veruschka Stevens founded VeruDesigns, a wearable art design house in the United States. Her work has been showcased and sold in prestigious galleries and art museums across the US and featured in art and design magazines in both the US and Europe. Today, she is the founder and CEO of a specialty coffee business in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF POLYMER CLAY
In her presentation, Veruschka will share how polymer clay can become a powerful channel between our inner potential and how we show up in the world, allowing us to express and develop our unique voice through art.
“My premise is that the more we dare to share that authentic part of ourselves implanted in our art with the world, life responds to us in kind, with appreciation and all those things that we define as ‘success,’” she shares, inviting you to join her talk.
DASHA PARADOKS
Belarusian polymer clay artist Dasha Paradoks, now based in Cambridgeshire, UK, discovered polymer clay more than 14 years ago while still in high school. Since then, it has become the material she always returns to. Known for her playful, highly detailed jewellery and miniature sculptures, Dasha is driven by curiosity and experimentation, constantly exploring new techniques and, more recently, bringing 3D design and printing into her practice.
WHEN LIFE HAS OTHER PLANS
In her presentation, Dasha will share her personal story of moving to a new country, starting over, and finding her way back to creativity through an unexpected turn of events.
With all its ups and downs, she is about to take you behind the scenes of her journey, sharing the importance of having the right people by your side and discovering opportunities in places you might never have expected.
ASTRID YOUNG
Austrian industrial designer and artist Astrid Young has spent over three decades working as a freelance designer while teaching design at the University of Arts in Linz. After years in creative fields, she discovered fine art around ten years ago and today works almost exclusively with thermoplastic materials, including polymer clay, experimenting with unexpected combinations and pushing their possibilities.
A MASTER’S DEGREE IN POLYMER CLAY
Astrid will take us into a place where polymer clay is rarely seen: the academic world. She will share how she introduced the material into university-level design education, present projects created with her students, and reveal how she experiments with plastics and combines different materials in her own work.
