Naula Studio is a jewelry design studio by Loan Favan, who pays homage to Pacific Island traditions through her designs. Coming from New Caledonia, she aims to honour and preserve ancestral traditions from the Pacific Islands in her jewelry sets. Her pieces tell stories of and from her island, encapsulating its rich mythical history full of spirits and mystical powers.
As much of the Pacific Islands has been colonized, and New Caledonia remains a French colony, the work that Favan does helps the people of the Pacific Islands to reclaim and decolonize their culture. In the process of colonization, much of Indigenous culture and wisdom has been cast aside in the name of Western assimilation and “progress.” This is why jewelry design by Naula Studio is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Reduced Inequalities.
One of her most recent collections, NGEI, is inspired by Kanak artifacts from New Caledonia. "Ngei" directly translates to 'later in the future' from Nengone, the language of the Maré people of the Pacific. The Kanak are Indigenous Melanesian tribes who inhabit the island and other parts of the Southwest Pacific. In NGEI, Favan reimagines ancient Kanak artifacts as wearable and functional objects today, creating futuristic renditions of the artifacts. For her, the project has been “a way to come back to my roots and re-question the impacts of colonization on education and identity.”
NINEN, a piece in the NGEI collection, is a modernized version of ancient Kanak money. Traditional Kanak money represents the man and the clan, playing an important role during tribal exchanges with its values determined by its length, colour, and composition. The money of the future, as reflected in NINEN, has been reinvented to also contain other core values of Kanak traditions, such as speech, respect, and the notion of clan. By imbuing these values into the design choices, it is hoped that today’s monetary exchanges can also be done mindfully, to the point where they reflect someone’s ancestral values.
SHEGU, another piece from NGEI, is a modernized version of the Kanak ‘magic stone.’ In Kanak beliefs, these magic stones were placed underground, in rivers, gardens, or any other areas where a little magic might be required to help the human activities carried out on that land. In Favan’s rendition, SHEGU is a fossilized silex that floats in a transparent box, symbolizing the sheer power that flows through the object. This SHEGU is worn directly on its wearer’s skin, helping them to philosophically inherit some of the ancestral magic and wisdom.
Naula Studio's jewelry designs are a powerful testament to the resilience and richness of Pacific Island cultures. Through her work, Loan Favan not only preserves and celebrates the ancestral traditions of New Caledonia and the broader Pacific region but also offers a means of cultural reclamation in the face of historical colonization. Her NGEI collection, in particular, serves as a bridge between past and future, providing a unique narrative that honours her heritage while promoting a mindful approach to contemporary life. Hence, Naula Studio's creations are not just jewelry but wearable stories that advocate for cultural pride and continuity, making a meaningful contribution to the dialogue around decolonization and cultural preservation.
Find out more about jewelry by Naula Studio and their other initiatives by checking their Instagram on @naula_studio.