Where military activities once took place, today we find an area imbued with art, vocation created from the soul, and giving Odderøya a new meaning. Now, the old barracks have been filled with creative spirits, those who redefine every corner by filling it with color, shapes, and imagination. And there, among sculptures, paintings, music, and photography, lies Ruth Laila, a jewelry artisan and owner of her own brand: Underlig Smykkeverksted. Her pieces are bold and full of personality, qualities that the creator herself demonstrates. She does not only work with silver, but also incorporates all kinds of unimaginable materials, such as Barbie dolls and baby teeth.
Past the kindergarten, we find Studio 54, the place where Ruth spends about two days a week creating. She shares it with several artists from different fields, including her husband.
Ruth Laila, who has many years of experience in the field of handmade jewelry, has been crafting since she was a child. Whether it was with tin can caps or other recycled materials she found, she used her imagination. However, the first official piece she created was a pendant she designed for an exam while studying at the Videregående Valley. She tried to recreate a spider in the center. And, as the artist herself says, “I’m really proud of it because it went really wrong. And I was terribly distraught. You know, you’re 17 going on 18, it’s the end of the world. But there was a lot of pride in it because it was the first thing that I really designed from start to finish and that I really created.”
Her time outside Kristiansand
Ruth lived in Glasgow for seven years. She moved to study a bachelor’s degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing from the Glasgow School of Art. Her decision to study there came after a two-week internship with Lise Schønberg while still at Videregående Valley, which inspired her to continue doing what she loved in her own unique style.
“She is a very famous jewelry artist here in Kristiansand. I didn’t know of her when I was a kid, but she blew my mind. She’s an amazing, creative… No, her work is just wonderful.”
From the moment she arrived in Glasgow, she felt at home. The environment was exactly what she needed to fully immerse herself into the art world. After completing her bachelor’s degree, it wasn’t more than a few months before the artisan started working at the award-winning design studio Brazen. There, she gained three years of work experience that proved to be very interesting for her, thanks in part to her boss.
“He was a great boss because he taught me a lot about custom relations, pricing and confidence. A lot of confidence.”
But in 2012, a bank crisis hit her hard, as jobs became scarce and salaries were poor. This difficult situation forced her to return to Kristiansand to at least earn money for a few years
and then, hopefully, return to Glasgow. This was her initial plan, but life had other plans for her.
“It took me like three years to realize I wasn’t going back, which was hard. Those were three angry years. Very ruthless.”
Faced with this situation, where she had to accept that the life and connections she had made there were no longer her reality, she ended up changing her mindset. She started moving around Kristiansand, where she already knew some artists, and dedicated herself to building her network and talking more with people in general. That is when everything started to work. And then she met her husband, one of her greatest supporters.
The jeweler got a job at the traditional Juhls Silver Gallery in Kautokeino, she spent two years there, and before returning to her hometown, she was clear that she wanted a space where she could create quietly and without distractions. So, she contacted some of her contacts from her artist network and found the workshop where she currently works.
The beginnings of Underlig Smykkeverksted
Against all odds, this brand, which now sells handmade jewelry, was born because Ruth began offering jewelry courses. And if she wanted to charge for these courses, she would have to open a real business through which she would be allowed to get paid by customers. So she had no choice but to come up with a name for this company, which came to her by chance after seeing a strange sign in the clothing store. That is Underlig Smykkeverksted: “it’s weird, and strange, and odd”.
What started as a mere formality to get paid, has grown into a jewelry brand with its own personality that appeals to many customers. So, where can we buy her jewelry? Ruth explains that she uses various means of promoting herself, although the most useful is Instagram (@underlig_smykkeverksted). However, she finds this medium somewhat contradictory to her ideals.
“I have a long-term goal of getting away from Meta because I think they’re shitty people and I really don’t want to be a part of it anymore, but it’s tough because it’s where most of my customers reach out to me, where they find me or get in touch.”
Aside from this, she also has other ways of reaching new clients: from her website (underlig.no), to exhibiting a small sample of her work in different locations (Christmas markets like Jule Market, shops like Kollektivet, and galleries like The Slottsfjells Museum); to spreading by word of mouth. She places some emphasis on the latter, as it’s important for people to know you and talk about you. Thanks to this, she has gained special clients who have requested unique pieces.
Nevertheless, this is not her main job, as the artist seeks to prioritize her financial stability. In addition to her jewelry brand, she also has a full-time job at a company that she also leads.
“I am a daily leader in a small embroidery company as well, Broderi Sør.”
It’s an embroidery company that does all kinds of work, from company logos and children’s names on clothing, to embroidery on costumes for bands and festivals. But when she has the time, she unleashes her artistic side here too, designing clothing with different messages or, as Ruth says, “shirts and silly tote bags that just say ‘Nei’.”
Where inspiration is born
“I like a lot of outsider arts and gothic stuff and pop art and the kind of nonsensical absurd art [abstract art]. And comic books, I read a lot of comic books and board games.”
This is the premise from which Ruth Laila’s inspiration is born, an artist with a style that she herself defines as “very punky and eclectic. A bit silly, maybe.” She truly focuses on enjoying and showcasing her personality through jewelry.
And it is not always easy to create from scratch, even when you have many sources of inspiration, but Ruth has several tips that help her with the process: “What I do if I’m stuck is I just take the crates of things and then place them on the table and I just start assembling. Putting it together. And try to write things down when I have ideas, because you’ll have a great idea and then you think you’ll remember it. You never do.”
The materials she uses are also very important in this creative process, as this artist is known for using all kinds of elements collected through the internet, thrift shops, friends, and random people who know what she does. Thanks to this, she has obtained all kinds of objects, including human and animal teeth, doll parts, and even ashes. “I just love collecting weird stuff.”
The juxtaposition of these rare pieces—something that can be gross and uncommon—with something that’s supposed to be beautiful and harmonious, like silver, is what inspires the jeweler and what she enjoys the most.
However, she also likes to work from trauma and the depths of her emotions, creating more personal pieces. One of the most impactful is her text bracelet, which reads “Flink pike, kan du være selv?” This phrase is an expression mainly dedicated to girls and women, about how good they are, because you’re supposed to be good all the time, but it breaks the stereotype by asking the question, “Good girl, can you be yourself?” Because a real woman isn’t always perfect.
“I thought, maybe it would be just me who finds this fun, but it actually resonated with a lot of people. So this is the piece that I sell the most of. And it’s fun because sometimes you make something and you think it’s just for you, and then suddenly it really resonates with people.”
Advice for future artists
Something she emphasizes is saving money. Ultimately, it’s the most important thing when starting a business and seeking stability. However, the creative process is also important, and the artist emphasizes the act of creating. Creating as much as possible, staying active, even if it’s just for a small impromptu drawing.
It is also very important to build a network of contacts. Even if it is just to grab a coffee and chat, this aspect is crucial for feeling supported, since, as the artist explains, “creative work can often be quite isolating because you work on your own and you can get stuck in your own head and end up doing nothing”.
Jotting down all the ideas that come to mind is another of her great pieces of advice, since in her experience, the idea that you will remember them later is unrealistic, and ultimately never happens. You likely forget it.
And finally, rest. That part of the job that is often undervalued but helps to change your perspective on things.
About the future
When we talk about the future, it’s important to highlight the future of craftsmanship, that labor that has been with us all our lives. And Ruth believes in education as the main driver against a society consumed by fast fashion and uncontrolled consumerism, a society that wants everything easy and immediate. Education in the arts and handmade things to raise awareness of the importance of the creative process and the reasons for its costs: “It’s an uphill battle a lot of the time but it hopefully won’t disappear because it is really important”.
Nevertheless, regarding her nearest future, the artist has a clear project to push forward towards:
“I have an exhibition I’ve been brewing on for a couple of years. I’m hoping at some point that this will be the year. I want it to be a big exhibition, a big massive room filled with that weird stuff, like the dolls and the toys and dealing with fun and trauma and fun again.
It’s jewelry, but also installation and also walking through this whole thing.
So I have it in my head. I have it in my books. And hopefully at some point I’ll have it put together. I’m sure.”
