Hi I am Magdalena Pillai and I create and design silver and mixed metal jewelry under the name of Vspora Art.
I was born in the land of Bohemia, in the Czech Republic in the late 1970s. My Passion for travel began at the age of 4, when my family escaped to Austria. We lived there in a Refugee camp until we migrated to the largest Island in the world, Australia. When I revisited my homeland at the age of 14, I was so enchanted with travelling and culture. Travelling is all I ever dreamed of since.
My silver journey relates to this story as my early years were spent constantly visiting my favorite jewelry Artist at our local market, each piece would transport me to many wonderful exotic worlds and many imagined lands…
My silver making story began at the age of 17. I studied casually for more than 10 years from various teachers, and then I just continued to experiment and explore.
Nature is my greatest inspiration, which is why I choose reclaimed metals and wish my Art practice to tread ever so delicately on this inspiring world. I am also immensely influenced by Indigenous Art and especially African adornment, with its versatility, ingenious use of materials and its celebration of originality. I also draw inspiration from the many cultures I have lived in and the many I dream of experiencing.
My Yoga studies eventually took me to India when I was 21, where I intensified my study of Yoga and meditation. I fell deeply in love with my husband and also India, where I lived on and off for 3 years. Here I studied henna art intensively. I currently teach the art of Henna at various colleges in Australia.
We now live in the Coastal town of Kiama Australia, with our beautiful daughter. The natural inspiration abounds here, from ancient rain forests to sublime rock pools, beaches, volcanic rock formations and the crispest ocean air. I feel very blessed with the art of jewelry and I wish to share my love and passion.