EPIC
Contemporary Art Jewellery
DON’T WEAR JEWELLERY. WEAR ART
The EPIC Contemporary Art Jewellery brand was created by Zakhar Borisenko in 2010. Though the first designer employed by the brand was Vladimir Markin (EPIC was previously known as «MARKIN Jewellery Laboratory»), the company has collaborated with various contemporary artists since its inception. One of the first collections was created by set designer, costume designer and illustrator Nana Abdrashitova (known for her work on «GenaCide. A country Anecdote» at the Sovremennik Theater, «Ma Courage» at the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theater, «Minotaur’s Dreams» at the Theater of Nations, etc.) Throughout the years EPIC has collaborated with the multidisciplinary media-artist Protey Temen, architect Sergey Pokrovskiy (Noor Architects), graphic artist Varya Alay and many others.
In 2016 architect Vasiliy Krivoshein, the creator of many large-scale sports venues in various cities across Russia, became EPIC’s lead designer. In 2017 jewellery expert, journalist and gemologist Anna Minakova became creative director of the brand.
In 2014 the brand opened its first location outside of Russia, in Hong Kong, and the «Don’t Wear Jewellery. Wear Art» motto, expressing EPIC’s core value of creating jewellery in collaboration with contemporary artists, was born.
Since 2012 the brand has been participating in international art and jewellery exhibitions, such as Hong Kong Asia Contemporary Art Show, London Jewellery Week, HK Jewellery and Gem Fair, Japan Jewellery Fair, GemGeneve. Among the awards received by EPIC are the Best Design Award from the London Jewellery Week (2012) and the first prize of the «Russia. XXI century» competition established by the Gokhran of Russia (2016).
EPIC is not just an art laboratory, but a full-cycle jewellery company with its own production in Russia and Germany. It is one of the few jewellery brands in the world to use – in addition to more traditional gold and platinum – rare materials, such as titanium, bronze and carbon (and the only one in Russia to use the latter). All gems used in EPIC creations are selected by the company’s gemologists and certified by the world’s leading labs.
The head of the EPIC atelier is Damir Yarulin, a jeweller of considerable experience, the winner of many professional awards and a professor at the S.G. Stroganov Moscow Academy of Art and Industry.
Another aspect of the EPIC operation is the work the company does on exclusive pieces, ordered by either individual clients (including assistance in selecting investment-worthy gems and making them into jewels) or by other companies and organizations. Among such projects are the jewellery collection created for Leica, the design of badges for top managers of Iqos and numerous projects in collaboration with the Hong Kong Institute of Design.