My journey in art jewelry has been a long one, marked by many transformations over the past 15 years. It all began right after college, with the idea of using jewelry as a canvas for my graphic expression. Back in 2012, when I first heard of Autor, it became a milestone I hoped to reach someday. My creative path has taken me through many layers—from graphics and sculpture to wooden jewelry and product design—but my passion for jewelry has only grown stronger. In 2025, I finally made it to Autor and, to my surprise, I won the Alchimia Award: a two-week intensive course at the renowned Alchimia School in Florence, Italy.
From Wood to Metal
I set out to explore metal, specifically silver, with great enthusiasm during my two weeks at Alchimia. After seven years of working predominantly with wood, I felt the need to experiment with a new medium; silver had been on my list for quite some time. Although I had previously taken a certified course on metals, I hadn’t yet started working with them properly. With a mix of theoretical foundation and hands-on practice, Alchimia offered exactly the exploration I was looking for. I received a very warm welcome and felt an instant connection with the professors, especially Sayaka, who mentored me. What struck me from the start was how the instructors managed to provide such a concentrated focus on each student’s project. It was only after those two weeks that I realized I had been in a continuous flow of absorption, exploration, and practice, naturally sustained by the professors’ dedication.
I learned that small tricks make a big difference when working with metals, and that their processing is complex enough to require significant practice. All the techniques I explored—soldering, hammering, melting, casting, and alloying—were incredibly useful for the project I brought with me. This, I believe, is the strength of this intensive course: the language of contemporary jewelry is understood and used to perfect complete pieces, from concept to technique and finishing.
Concept and Execution
The project I presented at Alchimia followed a theme I had explored in previous years through graphics (ballpoint pen drawings) and wanted to translate into jewelry. Since my interest in organic expression and its deep resonance in my life is permanent, the concept of “gates” found its echo in the spirit of Florence. Thus, my project felt supported on multiple levels in this context of growth, becoming a sort of artistic residency where I could explore both the technique and the initial concept.In this regard, I noticed how Sayaka helped me translate the concept into the technical execution of the pieces. A major plus at Alchimia is the high level of education; it is a true privilege to learn jewelry from artists who already have a significant voice in today’s contemporary jewelry scene.
Alchimia and Florence have been a gateway to my growth in the field of contemporary jewelry, and I am incredibly grateful to the people who made this possible. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sayaka Ito for her warm involvement and the joy she radiates, Lumy Nouguez for sharing those “insider” bench tricks of a jeweler, and, of course, Dan Pierșinaru and Lucia Massei for opening a new path that will always hold a special place in my heart.
See you at AUTOR on 16 – 17 MAY
