Categoria: Entrevistes

Arnald Climent

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Avui a 18kt entrevistem a Arnald Climent, que a més de ser un joier de la nostra ciutat és, des del Novembre, un dels esponsors de 18kt. No us perdeu l’entrevista, ni la seva web i la botiga on-line!

Today at 18kt we interview Arnald Climent, who is a jeweler of our city and also, since November, one of 18kt sponsors. Don’t miss this interview, or his website and his online store!

Parla’ns de tu.
Soc joier i visc a Barcelona. M’agrada la meva feina i procuro ser meticulós i exigent quan treballo. Una utopia: tenir el taller ben ordenat. Poseeixo una certa tendència a dispersar-me, a fer massa coses. Per sort amb els anys he après a moderar-me.
Al taller em resulta molt gratificant quan acabo una peça del que inicialment era només una idea o un dibuix. Per fer-ho faig servir metalls com la plata i l’or i esporàdicament el platí, juntament amb pedres, que m’atreuen cada vegada més.
Sempre he combinat la creació pròpia amb la feina per altres joiers o empreses del sector. A més, de tant en tant faig tallers participatius per mainada en fires i esdeveniments municipals.
La meva intenció d’ara endavant és fer peces més elaborades, buscant més els detalls.

Tell us about yourself.
I am a jeweler and I live in Barcelona. I love my job and I try to be meticulous when I am working. A utopia: to have the workshop tidy. I have a tendency to do too many things and my attention tends to drift. Luckily, over the years, I’ve learned to overcome that a little.
In the workshop, I find it very rewarding when I finish a piece of what initially was just an idea or a drawing. To do this piece I use metals like silver, gold and occasionally platinum, along with precious stones.
I have always combined my own creations with the work for other jewelers or companies. Also, occasionally, I do workshops for children in local fairs and events.
My interest now is to make more elaborate pieces focusing more on the details.


Quan vas decidir ser joier?
Vaig començar amb tot això cap a l’any 94 i no pas per vocació. Amb 19 anys no tenia gens clar cap on tirar. Estudiar no ho feia gaire, així que em vaig posar a ajudar el meu pare al taller, fent encàrrecs i feines molt bàsiques. No havia pretès mai dedicar-me a fer joies, potser perquè ho havia vist sempre a casa i de tant proper ni m’hi fixava. Però amb poc temps el que només era una feina es va convertir en una passió, quan em vaig adonar de tot el que donava de sí l’ofici i tot el que es podia expressar amb una joia.
Des d’aquell moment inicial sempre he pensat que la formació és important, així que he procurat aprendre coses noves de mica en mica tant al taller com a escoles. Vaig estar un temps a l’Alchimia de Florència, una fantàstica experiència. Més tard vaig passar per la Llotja de Barcelona i posteriorment per la UB per estudiar gemmologia i diamant. També he passat pel Jorgc fent alguns cursos de tècniques especialitzades.

When did you decide to become a jeweler?
I started with all this around ‘94 and not by vocation. At the age of 19 I didn’t really know what to do. I did not study much, so I started helping my father in the workshop, doing very basic tasks and assignments. I’d never expected to earn my living as a jeweler, perhaps because it had always been something so close to me, at home, that I didn’t event take any notice. But soon, what initially was only a job became a passion when I realized all the possibilities of this trade and all the things you could express with a jewel.
Since then I’ve always thought that training is important so, little by little, I have never stopped trying to learn things, in the workshop and in schools. I spent some time in Alchimia Florence, which was a fantastic experience. Later I went to Llotja, in Barcelona, and then to the University of Barcelona to study gemology and diamond. I have also attended to some specialized technical courses at Jorgc.


D’on ve la teva inspiració?
La inspiració em ve del que veig al meu entorn. Sempre porto una llibreteta per apuntar o dibuixar idees per futures peces o projectes. Per exemple la darrera col·lecció que he fet (“Massatge”) consisteix en tot de boletes mòbils disposades sobre les peces. La idea de les boletes em va venir revisant un llibre sobre la granulació etrusca. Aquelles imatges tan meravelloses i aquella feina tant extraordinàriament ben feta em van suggerir aquest joc de les boletes.

Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration comes from what I see around me. I Always bring a little notebook to write or draw ideas for future projects or pieces. For example, the last collection I’ve done (“massage”) consists of a lot of little moving balls arranged on the pieces. The idea of the balls came to me by reviewing a book on Etruscan granulation. Those so wonderful images and that so incredibly well done job suggested me the game of balls.


A part de crear joies, en què inverteixes el teu temps?
La meva principal afició és sortir a córrer. M’hi passaria hores, perquè em fa sentir lliure i feliç. Intento fer-ho tan sovint com puc i, sobretot el cap de setmana, procuro fer-ho sense presses.
Normalment vaig per Collserola, molt a prop de casa, i em perdo pels camins i corriols, on a vegades em trobo conills i senglars (que es deixen veure de nit) i descobreixo indrets insòlits, desconeguts per la majoria de barcelonins, tan a prop del centre de la ciutat.

Apart from creating jewels, how do you spend your time?
My main hobby is running. I could run for hour on end because I feel free and happy. I try to do it as often as I can and, at weekends, I try to do it without haste.
I usually run at Collserola, close to home, and I get lost on the tracks and trails, where I occasionally find rabbits and wild boars (easy to see at night) and discover unusual places, unknown to most locals, and so close the city center.


Anomena alguns llibres, pel·lícules o música que t’agradin especialment.
M’agrada llegir una mica de tot i sempre tinc uns quants llibres a la tauleta de nit. Darrerament m’han tingut distret “La novel·la de 3 rals” de Bertolt Brecht, una espècie d’apologia de la maldat humana; i “Novel·la d’escacs” de Stefan Zweig, un curt i intens relat sobre l’obsessió pels escacs. Enganxa i no el pots deixar fins que l’acabes, literalment.
Tinc predilecció per les novel·les de Ferran Torrent i els llibres del Quim Monzó i el Sergi Pàmies. Ah! I pels que us agradi córrer i pels que no també, us recomano dues lectures recents: “Nascuts per córrer” de Christopher McDougall i “Córrer o morir” de Kilian Jornet.

Sóc fan de les pelis de Clint Easwood i Woody Allen (d’aquest últim també els seus reculls de contes) però les pel·lícules que més cops he vist i que periòdicament continuo revisant són la trilogia de “Retorn al futur”.

Name some books, movies or music you specially love.
I read a little of everything and always have several books on the bedside table. Lately I’ve been enjoying “The three penny novel” by Bertolt Brecht, a sort of apology for human malice and “The Royal game” by Stefan Zweig, a short and intense story about the obsession with chess. You cannot leave it until you finish it, literally.
I like books of Ferran Torrent, Quim Monzó and Sergi Pàmies. Oh! And whether you like running or not, I specially recommend two books I read recently: “Born to run” by Christopher McDougall and “Córrer o morir” by Kilian Jornet.

I enjoy watching Clint Easwood and Woody Allen movies (such as his collection of tales and short stories) but the movies I’ve seen more times, and regularly review, are the trilogy of “Back to the Future.”


Quin és el teu lloc preferit de la ciutat on vius? Per què?
A Barcelona hi ha molts racons que em captiven. Però el meu preferit és una mica enfora, el cim de Sant Pere Màrtir de Collserola, el turonet amb un repetidor que hi ha just per sobre de l’Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu. És al·lucinant la vista que hi ha de la ciutat i les sortides de sol que s’hi poden contemplar!

What is your favorite place in your city? Why?
Barcelona has many places that captivate me. But my favorite spot is a little way off, at the top of Sant Pere Màrtir, in Collserola. From there, the view of the city and the sunrise you can admire is spectacular!


Com promous la teva feina? Quin paper hi juguen les xarxes socials i internet?
Fins no fa massa promocionava les meves peces en fires d’artesania, entre la gent que ja em coneixia, el boca-orella i a través d’una botiga on-line. Aquest ha estat un any de canvis; he obert una nova botiga a la xarxa i he començat a fer servir Facebook, una eina que he descobert efectiva i que em va molt bé per mostrar la meva feina, fer contactes i veure la feina dels altres.
Tinc una pàgina web on, a part de les peces pròpies, es poden veure tots els serveis que ofereixo.
A més a més, recentment he començat a comercialitzar les meves joies en botigues físiques. De moment podeu veure-les i tocar-les a l’espai Koetània!!

How do you promote your work? What is the role of social networks and the Internet?
No long ago I used to promote my pieces in craft fairs, among people who already knew me, and through my online store. This has been a year of changes and I opened a new store on the net and I started using Facebook, an effective tool that allows me to show my work, make contacts and see the work of others .
I have a website where, apart from my own creations, you can see all the services I offer.
In addition, I have recently begun to sell my jewelry in physical shops. You can see and touch them in the space Koetània!


Anomena tres joiers que t’agradaria veure entrevistats aquí.
Entre d’altres, aquests: Lluís Duran, Maria Goti i Maurizio Stagni.

Name three jewelers you would like to see interviewed here.
Among others: Lluís Duran, Maria Goti and Maurizio Stagni.

Sophia Georgiopoulou

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When did you decide to become a jeweler?
I have always made things with my hands. Embroidery, sewing, knitting, crafting, drawing and painting gave me a lot of pleasure when I was growing up. However, I did not pursue a Fine Arts Degree. At university, I studied Literature and particularly the Classics. After completing my studies, I began teaching college and at the same time got drawn into learning the basics of jewelry making. In 2004, I stopped teaching and started taking classes in metalsmithing. I became fascinated by the way a goldsmith can transform inert metal into an object of beauty. In November 2010, I established my studio Kosmimata.

Where does your inspiration come from?
I am inspired by the amazing jewels produced by the civilizations that flourished around the Mediterranean basin in ancient times. The way the craftsmen of old achieved such a degree of perfection in their pieces using a few simple tools, their ingenuity and their skilled hands always poses a challenge to me as a goldsmith. In my work, I try to combine the traditional jewelry making techniques with innovative design. Currently, I am exploring the way granulation can be used to create shape and volume as well as embellishment.

Apart from creating jewels, how to you spend your time?
When I am not working in the studio, I read, listen to music, draw and paint. I improvise with a variety of embroidery stiches to be used in my jewelry and of late, I have started an art journal that reflects my love for crafting. I am also experimenting more and more with photography since I photograph my own pieces. Occasionally, it takes more time to take a very good picture of a piece than the actual making of it!

What jewel do you most cherish?
I cherish a filigree chain that I inherited from my great-grandmother. It dates from the 18th century and the craftsmanship on it is superb. It is a manifestation of the skill and the love of the craftsman who designed and made it. Whenever I get discouraged by technical issues in my work, I take it out, touch it and think that this piece was made only with gold wire, fire and unbelievable skill. It has become a kind of talisman.

Who is your ideal customer?
My ideal customer is someone who understands the degree of effort, skill and love that go into making a piece of jewelry. It is the customer who comprehends that the piece is the actual crystallization of a very complicated and long process that may start with an exciting abstract concept and end in a concrete, beautiful piece.

In five years I’d like to have “mastered” a number of techniques that will allow me full freedom with the metals I love to work with, namely gold and silver. I am interested in building a body of work that will be relevant to the present time but also represent, in terms of techniques and skill, a link to the jewelry making traditions of the past.
I am also exploring new ways to combine precious metals and textiles, as well as the untapped possibilities of metal clay.

Three jewelers whose skills and imagination I greatly admire are Chris Nelson, Lorena Angulo and Wanaree Tanner.

…………………….

Trobareu més informació sobre ella a la seva web, la seva botiga on-line, el Facebook, Flickr i Twitter.
You will find more information about her at her website, online store, Facebook page, Flickr and Twitter.

Dauvit Alexander is The Justified Sinner

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Tell us about yourself.

Although I trade as “The Justified Sinner”, my real name is Dauvit Alexander and I’ve been a jeweller for about 30 years – as you’ll see in the next question. I’m based in Scotland and in addition to being a jeweller, I also have the privelege of teaching technical jewellery skills to students of all levels at North Glasgow College, which includes groups of students with learning difficulties. More recently, I’ve just returned from the USA, where I was teaching at Edinboro University and The Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh.

My own work is mostly made from found materials, especially rusty steel and iron, which I like to treat as if it were precious, combining it with silver, gold and gemstones to create works which are usually bold and uncompromising.
When I’m not actually being a jeweller, I spend a lot of time getting ready for being a jeweller by doing research and gathering materials!

When you decide to become a jeweller?

I became a jeweller by accident, really. My mum was very friendly with a jeweller called John Gilchrist who worked in the village where I grew up. One summer, he was looking for someone to work in the shop and clean the workshop, stuff like that. I was about 13 or 14 and wanted a job for the summer holidays from school, so John took me on. Before long, I had been shown how to polish, then how to solder and it just grew from there. John kept employing me at holiday time, even when I was at University (studying horticulture!) and eventually offered me a full-time job. I really always wanted to be a gardener but on reflection, I’m glad I became a jeweller.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I suppose I am a historian of sorts. Stylistically, I’m obsessed with the late middle-ages and a lot of the “look” of my work comes from this period, especially as it was in England and Italy. In terms of themes for my work, it is almost all music and literature. The last two major pieces I made were music-based, “Cold Genius” on an aria from Purcell’s opera “King Arthur” and “A Forest” which is based on the lyrics of a song by The Cure. I’m often inspired by materials too: a lot of my work used found, rusted iron and steel and the shapes of these can lead me to make pieces, where the material leads the way. Sometimes these pieces develop another theme, but often they are just what they are, such as the iron and garnet ring that I wear all the time which was made from a corroded nut that I found in the street.

Recently, I’ve been looking at a lot of Hip-Hop jewellery and while I’ve not really decided how to incorporate some of the ideas of that style into my own, I’m intrigued by the similarities between “Hip-Hop-excess” jewellery and that of the Renaissance, especially in respect to projection of masculinity, faith, wealth and power.

What jewel do you most cherish?

Strangely enough, it isn’t one I made myself and is one of only two pieces of work which I wear and which I didn’t make myself, a jewel has a real history to it.

One of my students brought in some scrap silver to melt down. It included a handmade arts-and-crafts style silver and moonstone cross dated 11/11/18 and engraved “M.F.R from R.W.T.” which I could not bear to see destroyed. The student was adamant that it was going to be scrapped and in the end, I exchanged the piece for a similar weight of scrap and a loose moonstone. I don’t know why this piece is so important to me: I have no idea who “M.F.R.” or “R.W.T.” might have been but there is something very beautiful about the piece itself, something very romantic about the date and something exciting about saving a poignant piece of history from destruction.

Name some books, movies or music you specially love.

I read a lot – as I don’t have a television – and listen to a lot of music. My reading tastes are very varied and I love pulp detective novels from the 1920s when I’m not being too highbrow. My all-time favourite book is James Hogg’s “Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner”, which contains the best portrayal of the devil in literature. Other authors I like include Wilkie Collins, Umberto Eco (I made a piece on his “Mysterious Flame of Queen Loanna”), Georges Perec and Alasdair Gray.

Musically, I keep coming back to Henry Purcell. I can’t even say what it is about his music which draws me to it, some element of humanity, some spark which compells me to listen. There is always music on in the workshop while I’m making – it was quite unbearable for anyone else while I was making “Cold Genius” as “The Song of Cold Genius” was played over and over for about two months! – a mix of things as varied as you can imagine: Bowie, Berio, Gossip, Handel, Miles Davis, Marc Almond, Messiaen…

How do you promote your work? What is the role of social networks and the Internet?

In a way, the internet has been the making of The Justified Sinner as a jeweller. I know that sounds like a huge claim, but I think it is true to say that my career took off when I discovered the power of social networking. For anyone who is working outside the mainstream – both the commercial mainstream and the mainstream of “Contemporary Jewellery” – it is very hard to reach a public. One of the things at which the internet excels is niche marketing and within its very open format, it is possible to create your own niche. With judicial use of social networks, anyone can create a buzz and target it to people who will be interested.

For my own part, all of this happened accidentally. Initially, I built up a following using Flickr and posting photographs of my work. People seem to like to be able to see pieces as they are constructed and they also like to know a bit about the person who is making the piece and I started keeping a jewellery-specific blog on my website. From the exposure on Flickr and through the blog, I started to sell through Etsy and then joined Crafthaus. More recently, I’ve been using Google+ and Twitter to keep people informed of what is happening at the bench. I’ve avoided the more obvious social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace as I feel that they are rather cluttered and generic. Specific social networks, such as Crafthaus or Klimt02 cater to the needs of makers and are much more useful. Additionally, the internet keeps me wholly up-to-date with competitions, calls-for-entry and people with whom I should keep in contact.

I think that anyone involved in this sort of publicity needs to be very, very mindful of the information that they put out there. It seems that the internet never forgets and the ability of search-engines to cross-reference everything you’ve ever written is frightening!

Name three jewelers you would like to see interviewed here.

– Tadashi Koizumi
– Ishbel Watson (one of my ex-students)
– Peter Torraca (Not a jeweller but an amazing stone-cutter who has custom-cut some stones for me.)

What do you find most surprising about your life?

When I was very young, I wanted to be much, much older. I wanted to be like the men my dad knew, who wore suits and smoked cigars and played cards. That seemed cool. In a way, I never lost that feeling and now as I approach 50, I’m amazed to find that it actually IS cool to be this age. People take me seriously: they ask to show my work in galleries, to photograph it for books, to buy it. So I don’t smoke cigars or play cards – though I do like wearing suits – and there is something very appealing about this veneer of sophistication hiding the fact that inside, I’m still only six-years-old.

Montserrat Lacomba

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Avui a 18kt tenim el plaer d’entrevistar la Montse, creadora i editora de l’espai Mar de Color Rosa, pintora, joiera i una molt bona amiga. Espero que us agradi conèixer una miqueta més d’ella i que la màgia que desprèn quan parla us arribi al cor. Un petó!

Today at 18kt have the pleasure to interview Montse, creator and editor of Mar de Color Rosa site, painter, jeweler and a very good friend. I hope you enjoy knowing her a little more and her magic can touch your heart. Kisses!

Parla’ns de tu.
Vaig estudiar Belles Arts i he fet de professora de Dibuix durant més de 25 anys, paral·lelament sempre he treballat en alguna activitat artística: pintura, gravat, il·lustració, disseny, fotografia. Al 2001 vaig començar a interessar-me per la joieria i de llavors ençà ja no l’he pogut deixar, encara que manifesto que ja de jove sentia una gran fascinació per totes les coses relacionades amb el cos humà i que ens posem al damunt que acaben sempre manifestant la sensibilitat de casascú.
Al 2007, tot cercant informació per internet, vaig descobrir el blog 18kt (gràcies Marta!) i me’n vaig fer una fidel seguidora; més endavant el desig de compartir informació em portà a crear el blog Mar de Color Rosa. Vaig fer dos cursos de joieria a l’Escola Massana amb la joiera Silvia Walz i des del 2009 formo part del grup Joyas Sensacionales que ella coordina i inspira. Actualment em dedico exclusivament a crear les meves peces que venc a Formentera, al mercat artesanal a de La Mola i a la meva botiga on line a Etsy, així com també a editar el blog mardecolorrosa.com dedicat a recollir i compartir informació sobre joieria contemporània arreu del món.

A part de crear joies, en què inverteixes el teu temps?
En els darrers quatre anys gran part del meu temps el desvio al meu blog, ja sigui cercant informació per internet, visitant joiers als seus tallers, intentant millorar i ampliar la comunicació, etcètera. També m’agrada molt llegir novel·les, anar al cine i veure exposicions, com també la contemplació en silenci de les veus del mar i els sons dels colors quan cada matí amb la llum del nou sol es situen en els objectes corresponents, després que la fosca nit els hagués amagat.

Anomena alguns llibres, pel·lícules o música que t’agradin especialment.
M’agraden molt les novel·les del Paul Auster, la darrera, “Sunset Park”, la vaig llegir en anglès per practicar, no obstant encara n’he d’aprendre força més perquè crec que em vaig perdre algunes coses. Ara estic llegint “La elegancia del erizo” de la Muriel Barbery, he gaudit especialment en un passatge on descriu una situació comparant-la amb una obra de Francis Bacon, pintor que admiro molt. “The King’s Speech” és la pel·lícula que més m’ha emocionat de les que he vist darrerament perquè el director munta sobre una insignificant anècdota un bell i intel·ligent film.

Quin és el teu lloc preferit de la ciutat on vius? Perquè?
Visc entre Formentera i Girona. De l’illa el que més m’entusiasma són tots els colors del mar (és on el vaig veure rosa per primer cop i d’aquí ve el nom del meu blog), no em canso de mirar aquesta immensitat i d’escoltar les veus del mar, que em produeixen una tranquilitat que no trobo enlloc més. A Girona el meu lloc preferit és la Plaça de Sant Pere, on hi tinc el taller, m’encanta perquè els veïns ens coneixem i es respira un aire d’abans, un fer de poble, un tarannà serè travessat tanmateix amb els embolics habituals de qualsevol barri que engresquen la parla de la gent.

Com promous la teva feina? Quin paper hi juguen les xarxes socials i internet?
Internet és una eina valuosíssima i jo intento promoure la meva feina a través del blog i les xarxes socials, sobretot el Facebook i el Twitter. En aquests darrers anys he tingut la sort de conèixer moltes persones i vincular-me a elles amb lligams comunicatius i d’afecte que mai no hagués imaginat. La facilitat actual d’interlació social està canviant el nostre estil de vida i crec que cal anar-s’hi adaptant.

D’aquí a cinc anys m’agradaria…
D’aquí cinc anys m’agradaria seguir amb bona salut i poder continuar fent el mateix que faig ara que em reporta un elevat grau de felicitat.

Anomena tres joiers que t’agradaria veure entrevistats aquí.
Auba Pont
Gemma Pampalona
Arnald Climent

János Gábor Varga from Blind Spot Jewellery

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Comença el Setembre, i des de 18kt seguim amb les entrevistes. Avui us presento un artista que segueixo des de fa uns quants anys per internet, m’encanten les seves joies rústiques i forjades a mà. No us perdeu el seu Flickr ni la seva botiga a Etsy.

Starts September, and at 18kt we’re back with the interviews.  Today I’m introducing you an artist that I have been following online for the last few years, I love his rustic and hand forged jewellery. You can’t miss his Flickr and his Etsy store.

Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Budapest in 1976. I have been always interested in nature and later in agriculture. I wanted to understand better the relation between human and nature, the way people find and use their sources of living how they face problems. So during my agricultural studies I spent 10 years of research on the traditional animal breeding and especially the traditional animal healing.
After the uni I left Hungary for England where I lived for nearly 3 years as a milker, later as a cheese maker. Then I moved to Italy where I live in a small village, near to Genova.

Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration came from the rusty and shiny tools I used on the fields or I saw hanging in old barns. I loved to touch them, play with them… I still love tools, old door knockers, coins and pots. In my mind, the most beautiful finish on metal is the scythe it has at the end of the summer. I try to recall these feelings in my jewelry.

What is your favorite place in your city? Why?
I consider this village where I live as my new home town. There are around 3000 residents here and it makes a nice, warm atmosphere. I like every angle of this place but I particularly adore the little labyrinth of the narrow lanes in the center.

When you decide to become a jeweller?
My first job in Italy was at a goats farm where I worked as a milker, cheese maker and generally I did all the things that is necessary. Forest work, hay making, feeding animals, etc. It could have been a nice job but I already had my passion for jewellery. So I built up my workshop and opened my Etsy shop. When I realized that it kind of works, I quited my job. Since then I mainly live from jewellery but it’s not always enough. So I still do occasional, seasonal jobs when there is a chance.

Name some books, movies or music you specially love.
As for music I like many different kinds.
I was grown up on the post punk/new wave and then I spent my youth on acid/ hip hop.
Recently I often listen to traditional sufi music like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or other Qawwali.
Some of my favorite movies are:
Fight Club, Closely Watched Trains, A Clockwork Orange, Zoo, Bitter Honey
As for books.. I used to read a lot more than I do now.. From Hungarian, Eastern Europian writers- one of my all time favorite is Bohumil Hrabal.

Name three jewelers you would like to see interviewed here.
Some of my favorites:
Dauvit Alexander (allias The Justified Sinner), a great jeweler and a very nice friend.
Lucie Veilleux the charming carpenter girl who makes fabulous metal jewellery too.
Victoria Takahashi the incredible talented jeweler of Seattle.

Kazhiko Ichikawa – Kaz

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Aquí teniu la segona entrevista de 18kt, un artista que fa poc temps que conec la seva feina pero trobo que és un artista increïble. M’agrada!

Here is the second 18kt interview, I knew this artist recently and I find his works amazing. I love it!

Tell us about yourself.
I graduated Kyoto Institute of Technology in 1979. I majored industrial design. After the graduation, I was working for a stationery company as a product designer and a planner for more than 20 years. Around in 1999, I was fascinated with antique jewelry. In 2002 I quit the company and entered to Tokyo Jewelry Craft School. In 2004 I graduated there and started my career as a jewelry artist.


Where does your inspiration come from?
My designs are inspired by European antique jewelry and Japanese traditional metal works.
Not only them, but also I’m inspired by works of other art like architecture, furniture, interior design, product design, etc etc inspire me a lot.
And of course the nature is a great teacher.

Apart from creating jewels, how do you spend your time?
I watch American TV dramas a lot. I’m really into “The Good Wife”. It’s a legal drama, very exciting and interesting. And “Castle” and “The White Collar” are my favorites, too.

What jewel do you most cherish?
When I started building up an antique jewelry collection, I met an incredible work of cannetille of early 19th century.  It is a brooch made of tortoiseshell and cannetille on it. I love this piece very much. I framed it and put it on the wall of my bedroom so that I can see it everyday.

Name some books, movies or music you specially love.
“Perfume: the story of a murderer”.  The title of this book sounds like a mystery but actually it’s a story of a genius artist and his work, perfume. A movie based on this book was on road. And DVD is on sale now. I have read this book and watched DVD many times. And everytime I read or watch it, I think about the reason why an artist creates art works and ask myself the same question.

Who is your ideal customer?
Everyone who understands the value of art, and regards jewelry as an art, not a combination of metal and stones.

How do you promote your work? What is the role of social networks and the Internet?
Now I am enthusiastic to promote my works in facebook and Etsy. Because I want to show them to the people in the world as widely as I can. A few years ago If I had wanted to sell my works in foreign countries, I would have had to attend an international shows to find a whole sellers or retailers. And then I would have had to hold a trunk show in a shop or a gallery to meet real end users. It takes long time and expensive cost. But today I can sell my works to the end users directly on Etsy! The cost for it is very reasonable. Why don’t you do it?

Name three jewelers you would like to see interviewed here.
Sophia Georgiopoulou
Jim Dunakin
Scott Schreiber
They are all good jewelry artists.

Walter Chen

MartaOms6 comentaris

Amb aquest artista Taiwanés/ Barceloní inaugurem l’apartat d’entrevistes de 18kt. Un apartat que us obrirà les portes als tallers de joiers de tot el món. Espero que us agradi i gaudiu-ne!

With this Taiwan/ Barcelona artist we start the interviews category from 18kt. A new place where jewelers arround the work will open the doors of their studios. I hope you like it and enjoy it!

Háblanos de ti.

Walter Chen, nacido en Taiwan, creador de joyas y objetos, vivo y trabajo en Barcelona desde 1997. Estudié en la Escola Massana, donde especialicé en Joyería Artística y Cincelado y licencié en la facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universitat de Barcelona, en la cual curso el doctorado.
En mis joyas y objetos utilizo los materiales y filosofía relacionados con la cultura china y oriental, especialmente el papel, el bambú y la seda.
Combino la actividad de creador con el estudio y la divulgación de las artes, el diseño y la cultura de Oriente: he dado numerosas conferencias sobre los temas que giran al entorno de mi obra: los procesos de creación artística y diseño, y la relación entre pensamiento, arte y formas de vida en Oriente.
¨ La evolución y el crecimiento de la naturaleza son la base de mis creaciones, que buscan plasmar la plenitud y el vacío en objetos llenos de luz interior.¨


De donde viene tu inspiración?

Mi inspiración viene de la Naturaleza, porque la Naturaleza es un mundo magnífico y sutil. Su filosofía de crecimiento y evolución es la origen de mis joyas. Podemos ver el concepto de mis proyectos de papel, bambú, naranja y seda siempre está relacionado con ella.

A parte de crear joyas, en qué inviertes tu tiempo?

En mi tiempo libre, suelo escuchar música clásica, ver algunos DVDs de ópera, y cocinar.

Háblanos de la joya que guardes con más cariño.

1. Joya hecha por mí: El pin de seda pintada con pintura fluorescente.


2. Joya de otro joyero: Un colgante hecho por Hans Leicht.

Nombra algunos libros, películas o música que te gusten especialmente.

· Libros:
DIVA- Great sopranos and mezzos discuss their art. Authora: Helena Matheopoulos.
BRAVO-The world´s great male singers discuss their roles. Authora: Helena Matheopoulos.
Pride and prejudice. Autor: Jane Austen
· Películas:
The piano
The Pianist
??? (The Castle of Sand, 1974)

Cual es tu sitio favorito de la ciudad donde vives? Porqué?

Mi sitio peferido es Castellfollit de la Roca. No está en Barcelona, pero sin embargo, la foto de autor es tomada en Castellfollit de la Roca.

Háblanos de alguien a quien admires; familiar, amigo o artista.

Joyero: Hans Leicht.
Cantantes de la ópera : Edita Gruberova (soprano), Cristina Deutekom (soprano), Alfredo Kraus (tenor).
Músico: Gary Karr (violón).
Obra de música clásica preferida: Tchaikovsky
Souvenir de Florence in D Minor, Op.70 (for String Orchestra)

Nombra tres joyeros que te gustaría ver entrevistados aquí.

1. Kazuhiko Ichikawa (no conozco a este señor personalmente, pero su trabajo es muy bueno)

2. Matúš Cepka (lo conocí en Checoslovaquia, técnicamente impresionante)

3. Carol Bright (la conocí en Etsy)

Podreu seguir la feina de Walter Chen aquí:
You can follow Walter Chen’s work here:

Etsy:
www.etsy.com/shop/monteazul
Blog:
www.walterchen-monteazul.blogspot.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000597617113
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/#!/monte_azul

 

Entrevistes / Interviews

MartaOmsDeixa un comentari

Aquest és un nou apartat de 18kt, destinat a fer entrevistes a alguns joiers/joieres de tot el món. Està en funcionament des del Juliol de 2011. Endavant!

This is a new section of 18kt, working to make interviews to some jewelers for all the world. It’s working sice 1st July 2011. Welcome!