DAVOS, Switzerland — Roksana Ciurysek-Gedir seemingly has it all at the age of 42.
She is an investment banker holding one of the most sought-after and difficult qualifications to obtain (Chartered Financial Analyst), as well as a Masters in Science in Management and Economics from Technical University of Gdansk, Poland.
She is also celebrated artist, where her unique photography work regularly features hundreds of gems embedded in the artwork and recently was loaned to the executive chairman of Alphabet — Google's parent company— Eric Schmidt for a private dinner in Davos this year.
On top of that, she is a movie producer, a mother of two boys, and is one of the most connected people in elite circles within Davos. The World Economic Forum even awarded her a position as a Young Global Leader in 2014.
So how does she fit it all in?
"You make time for the things you love and I guess what gives me strength is art and creativity. I feel that everyone has different [aspects to them] and I believe in having a portfolio career — it doesn't have to be one thing. Everything is interconnected," said Ciurysek-Gedir to Business Insider in Davos, Switzerland.
It is with this philosophy that Ciurysek-Gedir has carved a unique career for herself that has seen her gain her degree, CFA and work for the most prestigious banking institutions in the world.
"I guess since I was young, I have always a strong interest in art and it is something I am passionate about. I am a jack of all trades, only master of some, and I decided that I should be true to myself and follow my passions," she said.
"I originally wanted to be a brain surgeon but at the last minute, I decided to study business which would give me a lot of different options [for my career]."
She has risen up the ladder from working for Edmond de Rothschild, Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan and EBRD. She now is a director at private Swiss investment bank, where she looks after ultra high-net-worth clients from emerging Europe.
But she says, "art has always been part of my life and journey and photography is my biggest passion."
Creating art that is famed for being encrusted in precious gems
Ciurysek-Gedir thanks her father for igniting her passion photography. He gave her her first camera while they developed photos in the kitchen together.
After years of testing out different types of photography, which mainly included portraits as well as landscape and architecture, she got her first exhibition in Vancouver while she was working out there.
"Originally, I was purely using my own images of different subjects but I was not fully happy. Some of them I felt they looked like IKEA prints. So it got me thinking," she said
After years of experimenting, she forged her unique style of original photography printed on brushed aluminium, with hundreds of precious gems embedded in the artwork, that put her name on the map.
"My signature is printing photographs on metal on a large scale and drilling holes in the artwork and setting diamonds, or other gems, in it. It was a technique I developed that partly defines me," she said.
"Even though I'm far from 'bling,' I love the juxtaposition of cold metal with the diamonds, which highlight the light in the photographs to give it three dimensions.
"In some photographs, I have been using a lightbox behind the artwork which gives an interesting effect. It incorporates technology and art."
Here is an example of one of her more famous works of art, which was recently featured at a private dinner with Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of tech giant Alphabet — the parent company of Google.
It is called "Diamonds in the Sky" and is her interpretation of most expensive Faberge egg in history, which has hundreds of ethically-sourced emeralds and diamonds in it:
And this one shows her signature portrait of actress Bridget Bardot, printed on metal with 300 diamonds embedded in it, which was also featured at the Schmidt dinner as well as an exclusive club in Davos this year:
Her next big project is going to be out of this world
Ciurysek-Gedir has achieved an incredible amount in her career, personal life, and her passion in art already. But she does not intend in slowing down.
"My next project is sending an exhibition in space. I thought, 'I've done Davos, what next?' It is a secret for now but I have been talking to some people about this," she said.
"Clearly in life, trying to juggle passions with a full time job and being a mother can be a challenge at times but my life is so much fuller and richer with so many dimensions."
She currently has private clients through a collectors circle that buy her work, which have also been sold through world famous auction houses, such as Sotherby's, from £10,000 to £150,000.
Her photography career is also hitting new heights too after she met Terry O'Neill, the famous photographer who was renowned for his work with 1960s fashions and celebrities. She said he was "fascinated" with her photographic technique and said they should collaborate on a new exhibition.
While most people would see this reaching a peak in their careers, it looks like, for Ciurysek-Gedir, this is only just the start.
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