About VOLASA
My name is Jana Braddock and I’m a visual artist and maker based in Borloo (Perth). I studied Visual Arts and Silversmithing at the University of South Australia and graduated with a Masters of Art and Design. Growing up in rural South Australia to Australian and Latvian parents, I initially focused my practice on sculpture and installation art, creating immersive works that shifted with light and movement. It wasn’t until more recently, with the launch of my jewellery range, VOLASA, that I returned to my love of silversmithing.
In my studio, I work primarily with sterling silver and brass, appreciating how these metals age, hold marks, and become more personal over time. My Latvian/Latgalian heritage subtly influences my work - in the patterns, symbols, and respect for craft - all blended with a modern, minimalist style.
Each piece is crafted by hand, with a deliberatly condicidered and slow approach and designed to last a lifetime.
Jewellery Collection
My practice comes from sculpture - an interest in form, balance, and the small details that give an object presence. In the studio I work by hand, shaping metal slowly. I create classic pieces, sculptural works, and a Latvian-inspired range tied to my own heritage.
Handcrafted Sustainably
Everything I make begins at the bench. I shape, form and solder each piece by hand, working slowly and relying on touch as much as sight. If something goes wrong, nothing is wasted - silver and brass can be melted down and used again and again. I love the small marks that come from making and wearing an piece, and the way it gains character with time.
For Everyone
My jewellery is made for anyone who feels drawn to it - pieces that aren’t tied to age, gender, or trends, but to form, material, and meaning. Each design is crafted to be versatile and expressive, leaving space for the wearer to make it entirely their own.
Current Stockists
Prefer to shop in store?
Goolugatup Gallery - 58 Duncraig rd Applecross, Perth WA
Midland Junction Art Centre - 276 Great Eastern Highway (Entrance Old School Lane) Midland WA 6056
Acknowledgement
My studio is located on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar, south of the Derbal Yerrigan. I acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of this land and pay respect to Elders past and present. The landscape and cultural context of this place meaningfully inform my approach to material practice, emphasising attentiveness, responsibility and continuity.
Credits
Photography — Lauren Jane Salt
For capturing the pieces with such warmth and magic.
Explore her work: laurenjanesalt.au
Models — Stuart Williamson & Cooper Cooper
For bringing presence, character and depth to the imagery.
Stuart: instagram.com/ornettecoolman
Cooper: instagram.com/coopersreallybusy
Styling — Tia Tokic
Featuring pieces from her bold, intentional brand BOSA.
Discover BOSA
Origin Story
My mother’s family come from Latgale - towns like Rēzekne and Zilupe - places where ornament and craft were part of everyday life.
My grandparents, like so many displaced by war and occupation, arrived in Australia after WWII with very little. What they did carry with them were memories: songs, stories, patterns, skills, and a way of seeing the world that was shaped by nature, community and craft.
Latvian culture, especially in Latgale, has always been grounded in making. Woodwork, weaving, silverwork, ceramics - each with its own rhythms and symbols. My own lineage includes skilled craftspeople, and while I didn’t learn metalwork directly from them, the mindset they passed down - that things should be made with care, made to last, and made with intention - has shaped my practice deeply.
In Latvia, folk symbols are part of daily life. Some date back thousands of years:
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Auseklis, the morning star, symbol of protection and awakening
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Jumis, representing fertility, duality and good harvest
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Māra’s cross, associated with the earth, motherhood, grounding
These symbols aren’t motifs I replicate literally. Instead, they act like quiet threads, guiding forms, proportions and gestures in my work. They remind me that ornament can hold meaning - it can connect people to land, season, culture and ancestry.
The Latvian-inspired range is not a historic reconstruction. It is a personal exploration. I am learning, researching and interpreting at my own pace, acknowledging the depth of the traditions while also recognising my position: I am part of the diaspora, shaped equally by the past and by the life I lead here on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar.
I make these pieces with a sense of gratitude - to my family, to the traditions they carried, and to the land I live and work on now. My hope is that these objects feel grounded, thoughtful and open: not explanations of a culture, but invitations into a story that continues to evolve.
Learn More
If you’re curious to explore the cultural roots, symbols and traditions that quietly inform my work, these are deeply researched and respected resources:
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The Folklore Movement in Latvia (LFK) - A richly documented exhibition and research project tracing how folk song, dress, and craft became central to Latvia’s national identity during the Singing Revolution. Latviešu Folkloras Krātuve+1
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Latvian Folklore Repository / Institute (LFMI) - The main academic centre for collecting, preserving and researching Latvian folk traditions, motifs, tales and material culture. Latviešu Folkloras Krātuve
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Latvian Signs & Symbols - A detailed glossary of traditional Latvian decorative symbols (Latvju raksti), their mythological meanings and cultural contexts. latvians.com