Spot the Designer - Alexandra Page/ USA
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist! I dabbled in every kind from sewing to cake decorating before discovering and focusing on metalsmithing for the last 6 years.
When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?
I started creating jewelry as a child playing with wire, feathers, and weaving string. I found traditional metalsmithing in university while attending for graphic design. I like to say I received an “honorary metals degree” because my graphic design professors knew to find me in the metals studio as I turned all my graphic projects into branding my metal creations. This discovery came after returning from studying abroad where I just experienced a new world and all the possibilities out there! I knew I couldn’t sit in front of a computer designing my whole life and wanted to explore with my feet (travel) and my hands (3d work).
What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?
My first significant project was my Bellydance bracelet. I loved making a huge statement piece all from metal sheet that is versatile and movable! It was challenging and fun, combining so many aspects of art I love and a final result that is tactile! My professor challenged me to combine my graphic design background with my new metalsmithing skills which expanded my technical capabilities like etching and using illustrator designs as blueprints.
How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?
TRAVEL! I love it and it inspires so much of my art! I also enjoy being outside, walking in nature, winter sports, or just getting some sun after long indoor studio hours.
What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?
Since I began metalsmithing, I always had the idea of making something multiple times. This was especially easy with my graphic design background by having illustrator file blueprints to begin with. Of course this takes me away from traditional design but allows me to use traditional techniques in combination with modern technology.
Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?
Spotty Reflections- this piece has it all- blood, sweat, and tears. It discusses the reverse culture shock I felt specifically after returning home after hiking 600+km on the Camino de Santiago for a month. It also pulls from the original reverse culture shock I felt that brought me to metals to begin with after studying abroad, as I searching for something that had more meaning to me, to make meaningful art!
Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?
Silicone! I have so many ideas but the mold making and pouring is daunting but I’m excited for the challenge when I get back to the states from Romanian Jewelry Week.
How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?
As the governments of the world shut down and told us not to work, of course it was scary and devastating. Markets cancelled and orders stopped as people were scared into thinking that receiving my handcrafted jewelry would kill them. I was actually driving cross country in the USA making and selling my jewlery out of my van. I had to return as campsites closed behind me, even though I’d be the only one there! I made the most of this though, moving to Delaware in the midst of it all to work at Heidi Lowe Gallery. I learned a ton and ignored what was happening as I created my own personal residency after working hours in the studio and produced a ton of work and ideas beginning my own business in early 2021.
How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?
With the emergence of AI, it’s going to be so interesting! I see a lot of designers using the new tools to create innovative designs that might even merge with industrial design- maybe making our lives easier. With this said, it also could limit our creativity as we will rely on the reiterations that AI gives us since it uses already existing images, designs, etc by combining and altering them. Therefore, our personal creativity might decrease as we attach to technology that might begin to dictate our inspiration.
Find more about the designer Alexandra Page