VIEW
THE STUDIO ROJA MEZUZAH COLLECTION
10 QUESTIONS (actually 11) WITH JAMI MIYAMOTO OF STUDIO
ROJA
Risa
Borsykowsky: How long have you been a jewelry designer?
Jami Miyamoto: 18 years
Was this always your career?
I was a graphic designer before I started my company and worked in design studios
working on logos, brochures and other collateral material.
 How did you get started? Where did you train?
I always made jewelry starting in high school. I took some jewelry classes
at night while I worked as a graphic designer.
Where
do you get your inspiration?
I get inspired by pop culture and everyday objects and phrases.
What do you enjoy most about this career?
I enjoy the creative process, coming up with new ideas and forming them into
3D products.
What made you get into Judaica?
I got into Judaica because a friend suggested it to me. She was doing mostly
Judaica and thought my style of design would lend itself to Judaica. I've always
been familiar with everything Jewish and have been interested in Jewish traditions.
Growing up in Los Angeles, I've had a lot of Jewish friends. As a matter of
fact, my 4 best friends are Jewish and I've had 3 Jewish boyfriends, so I've
gone to many, many Passover dinners and Hannuakah parties. I even have a menorah
that we put out during the holidays because my daughter thinks that it's all
part of the holidays tradition. I think I was Jewish in my last life :)
Who or what had the greatest influence on you as you developed
as an artist, or did you always have your own style? How would you describe
your style?
One of my influences was an art teacher in college who taught me how to think
about the process of creating and who also taught me a lot about the history
of design in the context of it's era. My style is fun and funky sometimes serious.
What
do you do for fun?
Fun is hanging with my daughter and my crazy dog and doing yoga and biking
at the beach.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Don't try and copy what's out there but take time to experiment because that's
where the ideas come from. Don't be afraid to have a lot of duds. It's part
of the process.
How would you describe your creative process?
Can't really describe it. It's always different.
Who is your favorite artist? Musician? Writer?
My favorite artist is Vermeer, Picasso, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, the architect
Gaudi, the photographer Lee Friedlander
Thanks so much, Jami!
You're welcome. That was fun!
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