A bit about Bilak

Wasselena Bilak is a jeweller of Ukrainian and French origin, based in Montreal since 2014. After a career in audiovisual production between France and Canada, she founded her brand Bilak in 2018, initiating a transition toward an artistic practice rooted in working with materials.

For her, intention is embedded in the object, which is often rich in symbolism and capable of carrying emotional memory. Working with the lost-wax casting process and goldsmithing, she stands out for her figurative and sensitive imagery informed as much by ancient myths and stories as by her imagination guided by the material.

Active within Montreal's contemporary scene, she regularly participates in exhibitions, markets, and collective initiatives, while developing collaborations with artists from various disciplines, notably illustration and textiles.

Her pieces are distributed in several retail locations, including the McCord Museum in Montreal, as well as in various boutiques across Canada and internationally, notably in Brooklyn.

Her practice is nourished by ongoing training in fine crafts, including jewelry making, gemmology, stone setting, and glass and wood working, which she deepens through various specialized workshops in Montreal. She also aspires to deepen her scientific knowledge in order to forge connections between these concepts and her artistic practice.

 

(credit bio: My-Van Dam)