Describe your profession, with details on products, services, expertise and know how.
Saini Studio was founded in 2015 by Georgian artists and designers’ family couple – Nino Slepchenko and Levan Vateishvili. Their work is based on a new concept of creating ornaments that are both deeply Georgian and innovative.
Unique ornaments presented by Saini are all based on Georgian script that is one of the most ancient alphabets in the world, as well as one of the most beautiful ones. Ornaments are created by designer’s artistic view of each Georgian letter and a technological approach to the process.
“For us, it is especially important that we spread the word about culture and history of our beautiful country by designing ornaments based on its unique alphabet. We hope our customers feel that items are treated with great care in process of creation and we are sure that they fulfill their new owners with positive emotions, we hope that art and beauty that we try to express in all our items are making your everyday life brighter.”
What materials do you use? Where and how you purchase them?
From the very beginning, it was clear that our unique ornaments can be used in the design of a great variety of objects and that we can use diverse technologies to be up to date with modern times: ornaments can be applied by decal technology, they can be engraved on glass and other materials, we use energy-efficient bulbs for our lightnings and so on. We really cherish technical progress and use all the possibilities that technology gives us to transform our ornaments to different surfaces with laser precision but the final assembling of products is done by hand and this is extremely important for us.
Describe the techniques, the tools and the materials you use in your work.
Uniting mathematics, geometry, rotation technology and artistic approach Nino developed around 3000 unique copyrighted ornaments that cannot be found anywhere else. The author observed that application of the same technology to other alphabets does not produce such brilliant results.
Saini Studio works on product design, produces exclusive interior and exterior design objects, lightnings, decorative mirrors, ceramic items, jewelry and designs high-end porcelain dinnerware, engraved wine glasses and fabric. Saini’s products are mainly handmade. Studio works with sustainable and food-safe materials.
What is your “ideal” client’s profile?
At what age and under what circumstances did you start this job?
Saini Studio was launched in 2015 by me and my husband Levan Vateishvili. Both Levan and I, are artists and designers. I became interested in font painting back when I was a student at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Then I have years of experience working in graphic design and interior design. While experimenting with graphics and drawings I have come up with an idea to create ornaments of the Georgian alphabet. Our alphabet is so beautiful, it inspires you to work with it, to make art-works using these perfectly shaped letters. Our unique ornaments are all based on the Georgian alphabet that has been added to the List of Intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.
“Saini” in Georgian means a plate and as the first items designed by the studio were porcelain plates it was decided to give this name to the company.
We have a rather small team: 7 regular employees and a variable number of non-regular employees. I am the art director, I work on ornaments and design new items. With my husband Levan, we mostly work on product design, we create prototypes of different products. We also have a project and communications manager, a junior designer, and a photographer… We all have multi-tasked work to do.
Where and how long have you been trained before you were ready to start your own business? In a training institute, with a craftsman or both? What do you think is the best way to learn your job today? Schools, training with craftsmen …?
What role do “talent” and “creativity” play in your profession?
And what about innovation, what are the changes since you started? Do you use new materials, tools, or processes in manufacturing and marketing? What is the impact of innovation on your performance? How could your profession be even more innovative?
What is the best way to learn your profession?
What is your message to younger generations who might choose your profession?
