toronto
about
Edna Ida (Diena) Milevsky is inspired by forms, patterns and textures found in nature, particularly the ocean and beach, where she spent much of her time with her husband and four daughters. She is a fellow of the Canadian Gemmological Association (2019) and a graduate of both the George Brown College Jewelry Arts & Gemmology programs, emerging from both with honours. In 2019 she was granted an internship at the prestigious ForeverMark Design and Innovation Centre in Milan, Italy, where she also has deep family roots. That internship was a high-profile award for being the Canadian first runner-up winner at the DeBeers Shining Light Design Initiative in Gaborone, Botswana.
In addition to her inspirational visit to the diamond mines of Africa in late 2019, she has been to Australia, China, Japan, as well as many of the jewellery centres of South America and Europe.
artist statement
In the twilight of the 20th century I consciously set aside my lifelong passion for the arts to raise four delightful daughters and assist my husband in launching a software start-up company. Both ventures turned out exceptionally. My girls are grown-up, enrolled and graduating from university and the business was recently acquired by a large financial services company in Toronto. After a two-decade hiatus, I can return to my earlier passion, albeit in a slightly different direction: JEWELLERY.
So, in 2015 I enrolled in George Brown’s Jewellery Arts Program, which I completed in 2019 in parallel with a Gemmology Certificate. I am at my best when: “creating art with my bare hands” and have learned to work with a variety of media, both humble (embroidery) and grand (sculpture). I’m inspired by forms and patterns found in nature, particularly the ocean and beach, where I spent so much time with a growing family.
I plan to perfect my techniques using both traditional goldsmithing methods along with more contemporary tools. I enjoy exploring texture by employing a variety of techniques. The wide assortment of materials I use range from gold and silver to mirrored and coloured acrylics. Pearls and mother of pearl feature prominently, as they truly are the ocean’s finest treasures and gifts from mother nature to a modest mother.