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Erik Merisalu is a fine jeweler from Estonia, currently based in Paris. Initially trained in classical techniques, he has since evolved his craft into a more expressive and artistic form, being inspired by the human body and its individual characteristics. Using precious metals and stones to bring in bold shapes mixed with elegant, delicate nuances, he often seeks a balance between the disturbing, raw, and daring, and the gentle, intricate, and polished. Erik’s daily work as a jeweler centers around creating custom pieces for clients, in addition to participating in exhibitions, photo campaigns, and runway shows featuring more sculptural designs. The more popular, striking pieces include face masks and teeth jewelry, where metallic elements extend from the mouth like organic growth.
The artist often connects these sculptures to the concept of inner turmoil or stress. The pieces frequently appear sharp and dangerous, yet their polished silver or bronze surfaces enhance their allure with a captivating, mirror-like shine. Other inspirations and themes the artist incorporates into his work include the natural beauty of his home country, Estonia; his time studying the art of jewelry alongside his mother, who is also a jeweler; and reflections on art and the life of an artist in general.
Hi Erik! It’s a pleasure to sit down with you! First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in Paris?
Erik: Most days, I wake up and bike to my studio, working on current orders and collaborations. In the evening, depending on the day, I either go for a run along the canal or have a drink with friends. Written down, it seems quite straightforward, but life in Paris is hectic and ever-changing. Every week brings something new and exciting—I love that.
So what brought you to Paris?
Erik: It’s a love story of sorts. Three years ago, while I was studying sculpture in Belgium, a girl I knew from Estonia was a student at the Institut Français de la Mode fashion school in Paris. One day, she spontaneously ordered a ring from me. I asked if I could deliver it in person and if she’d be willing to show me around the city for a day. Since the bus ticket from Ghent to Paris was only €15, I set off with the ring.
As she led me through the streets, I instantly felt a connection to Paris—and a few days later, to her. That year, I spent nearly every weekend there. Over time, I built a client base and began designing jewelry and accessories for IFM graduates.
After finishing my studies, we moved in together. Though we’re no longer a couple, we remain good friends, and I’ll always be grateful to her for bringing me to the place I now call home.
I’m curious, growing up what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing, and how did you spend your time?
Erik: I was a lively kid. My childhood home was next to the woods, so most of my days revolved around exploring nature or skateboarding. I was full of energy and curiosity—always on the move.
You started learning jewelry-making from your mother at a young age. How did her teaching shape your approach to the craft?
Erik: My mother has had the greatest impact on my career as an artist. I will always cherish the time we spent together in our studio, nestled in the garden of my childhood home. When she first began teaching me, the process was free and playful. With a restless mind and a wild imagination, I often came to her with spontaneous ideas, asking for help to bring them to life in metal. Piece by piece, I learned the tools and techniques, solving problems along the way. After a year or two, I felt ready to take my training more seriously and began pursuing a more classical approach to my craft.
Do you see traces of her influence in your current work, or have you intentionally developed a style distinct from hers?
Erik: My mother comes from a deeply classical background in the art of jewellery. In my early years of studying, I wanted to break away completely—to be different and distinct. My goal was to create work that was as shocking and raw as possible.
Over time, my style has evolved. In recent years, I’ve found myself reconnecting with those classical roots—focusing on precision, maintaining boldness yet with elegance, and paying attention to every detail.
Ok Erik, with these next series of questions, I will try to delve into your work as best as possible… So, how has your Estonian heritage and the natural beauty of your home country shaped your designs?
Erik: Estonia is a magical place—small, humble, quiet, and full of nature. Life there is calm; the people are modest and find comfort and beauty in life’s simple pleasures—something I’ve come to deeply appreciate after living in larger cities. But Estonia can also be harsh: lonely, cold, and dark. I believe these contrasting qualities are reflected in my work.
You transitioned from classical techniques to a more artistic and expressive style. What sparked this change?
Erik: It started when I went to study sculpture in Belgium. When given the opportunity to work on a personal assignment, I decided to pursue an idea I had been holding onto for a long time: creating “unwearable” jewelry. I was intrigued by the contrast of using precious metals—typically associated with elegance and decoration in a more unsettling, confrontational context.
Having previously studied dental anatomy with a friend who was a dental technician, and being fascinated by abnormal tooth growth, it felt natural to create a piece featuring crooked teeth emerging from the mouth and piercing the eyes. The use of shiny, polished silver in such a brutal setting created a striking contrast—an extreme situation presented through an elegant material.
What role does the human body play in inspiring your designs, especially your sculptural pieces like face masks and teeth jewelry?
Erik: I mostly design for the body and want the jewelry to become an extension of it. Since the human face holds the most individual characteristics, it offers me a wide and fascinating playground. I’ve always been drawn to interesting faces and expressive features. To me, a person’s face reveals their story—I often try to imagine it, and from that, build a character around them. I might be completely wrong, but I find this way of trying to understand someone without knowing anything about them deeply intriguing.
Through my work, I aim to convey these emotions. For me, it can leave a strong impression, allowing people’s stories to emerge in subtle, powerful ways.
With that in mind… Your teeth and face mask designs are bold and unconventional. What inspired you to explore these specific forms?
Erik: My teeth masks began from a fascination with abnormal tooth growth—what some might see as a bodily flaw, I find strangely beautiful.
Teeth are usually hidden; to see someone’s teeth, you have to get close, make them smile. When that moment happens, it feels like a whole new world opens up. With my previous masks, I wanted to extend that part of the body and explore the emotions it evoked in me.
Your work balances raw, daring elements with polished elegance. How do you approach achieving this equilibrium in your designs?
Erik: I love contrasts—I believe contrast brings drama and life into art. Being quite dramatic myself, it feels natural to work in this way. I’m a very emotional person, and for the longest time, I struggled to find stability within those emotions; it has always been about extremes.
Through my work, I have managed to find a way to create that stability. It may not always be evident in the work itself, but I find mixing contrasting extremes deeply satisfying. Working with precious metals makes this possible, as their history and elegance blend intriguingly with the raw, taboo, and gritty.
How do you decide on the themes or emotions you want to express through a piece? For example, how do you translate concepts like inner turmoil or stress into physical forms?
Erik: For most of my working life, I have often felt stressed and dissatisfied. But when a good piece is finished, I see and feel the beauty it brings—that keeps me going. I have learned to work under pressure, and now I feel like I thrive in it. This is the pursuit of creating a beautiful piece, custom made for a special client.
In my previously mentioned sculptural pieces, having found a connection with using precious metals in an unwearable, brutal, and unsettling way, I see a reflection of a hidden feeling of angst. It’s like holding all of life’s stress and baggage inside, saying it’s fine while wanting to burst out instead.
Do you prefer working on custom client pieces or creating sculptural designs for exhibitions and runway shows? Why?
Erik: I don’t really have a preference, as the work processes in both departments are quite different. With my custom pieces, I try to capture and convey the personality of my clients, creating jewelry that becomes a part of their character. Even after just a five-minute chat or a message, I tend to observe their character closely, which later becomes an important part of the design. Since these pieces are one-of-a-kind, I find it essential that each jewel fits the specific individual—matching their body, body language, clothing, and even the way they speak or gesture. I want the piece to truly be them, allowing the client to design and be a part of the process. With every piece like this, I embark on a journey of learning about my client—trying to understand how they live and feel. With my sculptural designs, I use my techniques and metal to express these same ideas in a more extreme way, with no boundaries.
You use precious metals and stones in bold, unconventional ways. How do you choose your materials, and what role do they play in your storytelling?
Erik: I have great respect for precious metals and gems, and I have chosen to work with them from the very beginning. When selling, I want to offer durable pieces that stand the test of time, and precious materials allow me to do just that. I want my jewelry to be a lasting part of the wearer’s life—to accompany them through their journey and be passed along when its time with them comes to an end.
So what do you think jewelry can express about the wearer or the creator that other art forms cannot?
Erik: A jewel can be a tiny, precious shine on the wearer’s body. It can grow on a person, becoming attached to them over time. It exists at the intersection of personal identity, craftsmanship, and daily life. Unlike other art forms, a jewel usually stays in one place on the body but moves with the wearer, engaging dynamically with the world and constantly evolving in context. It can be an extension of yourself or a means to communicate something broader.
Your sculptural designs often extend organically from the body. How do you envision the relationship between the wearer and the piece?
Erik: I design my jewelry to become a part of the character of the person I’m creating it for—to extend their being and way of living. This connection can also be tied to a specific moment in their life, like an engagement ring.
And what challenges have you faced as an artist straddling the line between traditional fine jewelry and contemporary art?
Erik: I try to carry both of these worlds into my jewelry. When I begin making a new piece, I usually start with a traditional shape to maintain a chic and classy baseline. From there, I incorporate more contemporary, unexpected forms that reflect the wearer’s unique characteristics.
How do you see the relationship between art and fashion evolving, especially with your involvement in runway shows?
Erik: All I choose to see, I want to learn. I might not yet know where these subjects will take me, but I’m excited and looking forward to experiencing the journey.
What role do exhibitions and collaborations play in your career, and how do they differ from your personal work?
Erik: Exhibitions and collaborations keep me refreshed. They give me time to learn and dive deeply into a person or subject I’m interested in. In these moments, I like to open up artistically and let it all out.
When I collaborate with someone, I tend to learn everything about my partner in crime. I want to see the world through their eyes and bring their vision to life with my skills. Often, at the start, I think less about collaboration and more about working for someone. Usually, I’m very open to letting my collaborator lead the way, as I truly enjoy learning about the person I’m working with—first about their background and culture, then their aesthetics. I’ve found that this approach feels most natural to me, and in the end, our visions come together most harmoniously.
My thought process often swings from one extreme to the other—either very restrained or completely wild. With client work, I need to find a middle ground. When working on exhibitions and collaborations, I like to let my extremes live and show.
On that note, how do you balance your artistic vision with the requirements of a fashion collaboration?
Erik: I have become deeply interested in clothes and garments. Unlike metal, they are often fluid and adaptable, able to take on many different shapes. Metal introduces an interesting contrast—it can add structure and heaviness when needed. It can hold, create barriers, pierce, or extend.
Ok Erik, now to something totally different. In a parallel universe who would you be? and what would you be doing?
Erik: I think I would still be doing something with my hands—getting down and dirty. Besides metal, I really love wood as a material and woodworking in general. I recently found a new living space in Paris, and for the longest time, I’ve wanted to build a chair.
Can you tell me a story about a time when a connection with someone had a big impact on you?
Erik: I adore my studio partner, fashion designer Hannah Creak. Our fields are different, but our work ethics are often similar. Seeing her passion for clothing and creativity spilling into her daily life has inspired me greatly. The drive to push through messy struggles and ultimately achieve something beautiful resonates deeply with me.
What qualities do you find most important in the people you choose to spend time with?
Erik: People who aren’t afraid to be themselves—those who express character and curiosity, and who live and work with passion and emotion.
What motivates you?
Erik: Inspiring people around me—my friends and family, the arts and the life of an artist in general, and of course, my clients, around whom my daily work revolves.
How would you describe a perfect day?
Erik: I’m trying to stay quite focused right now, so an early morning start at the studio followed by an evening at a bar or park, chatting with my lovely friends, sounds perfect.
Alright Erik, I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
Erik: My current favorite, which I recently rewatched, is “The Lovers on the Bridge” by Leos Carax. Additionally, I adore Sean Baker’s movies.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
Erik: “Every night the sun comes up I’m in trouble” by Sharon Van Etten.
How I often feel.