AUTOR is a story imagined and built by passionate people, who inspire through creativity, vision and courage. We want you to discover one of the #peopleofAUTOR and let them stimulate you with their story and their creations. See you at AUTOR 2019 – 20-21 April @ National Theatre Bucharest.
I began my artistic journey when I was 10 years old, going through drawing, painting, molding and clothes design. After graduating in Fashion Design at the Art Academy I worked mainly with clothes and costumes as a scenographer and fashion stylist . After a while I opened my own art gallery and ran it for 10 years.
In 2015 I decided to tackle another challenge, and thus the Porcelain Studio was born. It’s not an easy work, the process is complicated, but with a lot of perseverance and courage, new things can be created. I think I chose to work with porcelain because I was fascinated by its final delicacy and preciousness obtained througout the creative process, from the first molding to the final burn.
A: The participation in AUTOR implies a rigorous selection process, a collection dedicated to the event and a lot of work. What can you tell us about the collection with which you participate in the fair on April 20 and 21?
Mihaela Cherciu: This year’s collection is a porcelain interpretation of an artistic theme as old as mankind: the human hand. I think it’s a challenge for an artist to illustrate their own hand, as it is a transfer from the hand as a “creative tool“ to a created object. It began with traces of prehistoric hands in caves and will probably never end. For me, the porcelain hand has meant, in the first place, overcoming technical difficulties. The initial mold I made has led to many broken porcelain fingers so, eventually the collection was named Through My Fingers. You will be able to admire fingers mounted on brooches, earrings, necklaces but also whole hands that can be worn at the neck or like a brooch. The important thing to remember is that I am presenting you The Hand of The Artist.
What does it mean for you to be present at AUTOR?
AUTOR is a prestigious fair that hosts a large number of international artists that I admire. I believe that the Romanian public has the opportunity to see diverse, courageous, modern approaches that can open their appetite for true artistic creation. I’m glad to be with people who promote creativity over comercial success.
The concept of this year’s fair is “Beauty never sleeps”. What does beauty mean to you and how did this artistic creation influence your concept?
Beauty for me means natural, organic forms, and that’s what you will see in my jewelry. I love flowers very much, and I don’t hesitate to surround myself with them even if their beauty is considered by many ephemeral. The organic nature of life is always surprising, irregular yet harmonious and balanced. The need for beauty is the most important for me, the one that guides all my actions.
Nowadays, attention spans are getting shorter day by day. How does contemporary jewelry reflect today’s society?
It can be said that there is a link, visible in the intention to shock, to obtain an immediate response through unusual shapes, colors, materials or dimensions. Unconventional materials are primarily a response to the current society concern about re-evaluating resources. Fewer contemporary jewels are made of gold and silver and more and more are made of plastic, different kinds of waste or even organic materials.
