David Sandu is 37 years old, and more than two decades of his life have been dedicated with passion to jewellery making. His work reflects an authentic relationship with the field and a commitment to building a sustainable practice, in a context in which contemporary jewellery in Romania is still at an early stage.
Recently, David founded a jewellery school, driven by the desire to share knowledge and the joy of this craft with others. The school will be presented at the AUTOR Fair, at Sala Dalles, on April 16 and 17, 2011, through a live jewellery-making demonstration – a first in Romania. Starting from this initiative, we invited David Sandu to a conversation.
How did you move from the idea to the actual creation of the jewellery school?
The contemporary jewellery school is a long-postponed project. It finally reached what we sometimes call “the right moment.” In other words, it was time to organise, within a structured framework, something that had already been happening naturally in my studio for quite a while.
For some time, one, two, or even three workbenches were occupied simultaneously by people who wanted to learn the technical aspects of jewellery making. In order to respond more attentively and consistently to those who wished to attend a course, I decided to organise this activity—still within my own studio—as a continuous project aimed at long-term development and growth.
What motivates a designer at your level to open a jewellery school? What do you hope will change in Romanian author jewellery through this initiative?
I do this first of all because I enjoy it—and also because there is a real demand for it. These are the two essential directions for sustaining any project.
What will happen later, what the students decide to do with the knowledge and experience they gain during the courses, is something I can only hope for. I hope for a higher technical standard that can truly support the creative side already visible among those interested in jewellery design and author jewellery.
David Sandu @ EXTINS
Since you teach a craft, are you concerned that your students might adopt your personal style as a designer? How do you encourage them to develop their own creative path?
It is always a challenge for a teacher not to imprint himself as a formula on his students. On the other hand, author jewellery is an extremely generous field for personal expression, and people who are creatively inclined are constantly searching for their own voice.
At this early stage of the school, the focus is primarily on technical training. The artistic and compositional aspects are deliberately treated as secondary. The assignments differ and are adapted to each student’s preferred direction, allowing room for personal expression while maintaining a strict and solid technical foundation.
Is a formal design education necessary to practise this profession? Do specialised studies play a catalytic role?
Those who come to the course with previous training receive answers that correspond to their level of knowledge. I do not believe in universal recipes for success.
So far, I have met artists with solid backgrounds who approached the tasks cautiously and conformingly, and also people from completely different professional fields who demonstrated remarkable freshness and clarity of ideas. I believe in the power of what is authentic and consciously assumed, as well as in what is deeply natural.
Complementary studies are important, but they are not a guarantee. After all, does any field truly offer guarantees of success?
What path can a graduate of the jewellery school follow? What chances do they have to become professional jewellery designers?
An introductory course in classical jewellery techniques is only the beginning of an extremely diverse and open professional path. A positive trajectory depends largely on the graduate’s willingness to continue learning and deepening their knowledge.
The most relevant sign that someone is on the path toward professional recognition is technical independence—both the understanding of technical language and, very concretely, the existence of their own jewellery workshop.
Without this, we remain in the realm of amateurism. Surprisingly to many, setting up a basic functional jewellery workshop requires an investment of no more than €5,000. Most of us spend that amount over three years on things that leave no lasting value. What is truly encouraging is that such an investment can be made gradually.
Technical understanding is the vocabulary and grammar of our profession. Without it, meaningful artistic expression cannot exist.
Is there real support on the Romanian market for certified contemporary jewellery designers? What makes them stand out today?
Absolutely. I would even say—at the risk of sounding provocative—that market demand is currently higher than the professional quality of what is being offered.
I constantly encounter brilliant creative ideas that remain at the sketch stage due to a lack of technical vocabulary. A higher level of technical competence would be rewarded by the market.
The new generation benefits from something our generation lacked: confidence and openness. Their opportunity to develop in a connected, contemporary environment gives them a natural creative advantage—and that is precisely what makes them special.
What advice would you give to a young designer at the beginning of their career in author jewellery?
Accumulating information and experience is essential. Not through rigid academic systems, but through a balanced process of learning, digesting, and then expressing ideas with one’s own voice.
At the beginning, originality and freshness supported by a clear theoretical base are crucial. I encourage young designers to protect and carefully cultivate their first ideas—and not to worry too early about their careers. Let time take care of that.
What is missing in Romania for a true contemporary author jewellery market to emerge? Which platforms support this field?
The issues extend to the broader Romanian visual art market. We lack specialised galleries. We lack professional art agents. We lack long-term collecting structures and museum collections dedicated to author jewellery.
Author jewellery today is in a similar position to photography in Romania in the early 2000s—acknowledged, but not yet structured as a real market.
The most consistent platform supporting author jewellery is the Extins–AUTOR partnership. It offers all the essential elements needed for sustainable growth. Media support is also a crucial factor.
In one essential idea, how would you express the importance of founding this jewellery school?
Until six months ago, people interested in contemporary jewellery could say that no such school existed.
I hope this school will now be perceived as a real and effective tool for professional development.
