Spot the Designer - Andreea Pricop/ Italy
What did you want to be when you were a child?
As a child, I loved to paint; it was, for me, like breathing. I also loved designing clothes for my paper doll Susy. I loved being in contact with nature and animals; all the stray dogs on the streets of Bucharest liked so much the sandwiches my mother made for me. If I were to ask this question to the little girl in me, I'd say that, when I grow up, I just want to be kind.
When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?
In Italy, I graduated in Architecture and, during the university, I loved making cardboard models. Paper has always fascinated me and I think it is a real treasure. Discovering that I could model recycled paper, making “papier maché”, allowed me to create small "sculptures". Then I started making pendants too. As an architect, I am interested in bio-architecture and ecological solutions. Among architects, I loved Frank Lloyd Wright because he was so close to nature: “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never let you down”, said he.The love for Nature made me create natural, phytomorphic beads.
What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?
As a living being, I chose years ago to become a vegan because I love animals. Initially, I felt a bit “alien” in my choices but I think of alien worlds as rich, lush lands, where creatures live in balance and I hope that the Earth will reborn too. One of the first pendants I created was "the alien leaf", a mix between nature and shapes inspired by alien skeletons.
How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?
I love going to the mountains, staying in the woods, writing and meditating but I also like to invite people at dinner and prepare delicious vegan dishes, plating the dishes one by one.
What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?
I studied the traditional art of papier maché, an ancient technique (already in the 4th century BC, the Greeks used linen fiber to create masks and in China, from the 2nd century BC, was used to create three-dimensional funerary figures, or in Italy, to create sacred statues). So I started using it in the creation of jewellery. I would like to take up this ancient and poor tradition and develop it in different contemporary shapes of my jewels.
Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?
One of the jewels that best represents me is called “Roots”. In a world where the future is so uncertain for humans, animals and nature, I believe that two different perspectives can be crystallized for the preservation of the world. The first one is to have a more intimate contact with the Nature, respect it, without trying to submit it to our immediate needs; embrace it, just as the roots embrace the earth, feeding on her minerals and giving us the beauty of the trees. The second point of view is digging deeper into ourselves, with the roots of our physical and spiritual commitment, learning from our past and our ancestors and bringing out the pearls of our experiences, improving our lifeblood, from darkness to light, in order to donate to the future generations, the diamond of our souls, for a better life.
Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?
I would like very much to use gems, stones; they are daughters of nature, of the change of the Earth over the millennia. But from the point of view of an eco-sustainable jewel, I don't think it will be easy the search for gems that are not obtained through the exploitation of human beings or animals.
How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?
It was a period of great reflections, on freedom, most of all. The freedom to be able to share my creations with people has failed. But it was also an incentive to search for new solutions.
How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?
I hope that the world of jewelry will become increasingly eco-sustainable, with the discovery of new materials or the recycling of the old traditional ones.Through A.LI.EN.design, I wish to spread the possibility of creating jewelry using plant-based elements, like cellulose, which is the most abundant natural polymer, a durable, recyclable, bio-compatible and non-toxic material. Through my creations, I want to show that each of us can contribute, with our own choices, to protect our planet!
Find more about the designer Andreea Pricop