Spot the Designer - Francesca Guarnieri/ Italy

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Too many things, just like today.

When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?

I have been fascinated by jewelry since my early childhood. I remember spending hours on my parents' Art encyclopedia observing the clothings and ornaments of people in the old paintings. I think I’ve started creating jewelry without being fully aware of it, it is something I realize now, when I look back and I try to summarize the past in my mind. My painting professor at the academy of Fine Arts was very “contemporary”, so we were allowed to use any media and since the very first years I was showing interest in creating portable objects, readymades stored in custom boxes, body ornaments. Unfortunately most of these pieces are lost, my youth was turbulent. Then soon after the Academy I started studying goldsmithing.

What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?

A very significant piece for me is Candy. In 2012 I spent some time in the studio of Fabio Viale, he is a great sculptor who works with marble. I was curious to test some techniques in my own work and there was plenty of marble debris to work with. The piece is a reflection on gender, identity and norm. I think it was the first time I was truly putting myself into an artwork and it reminds me of that beautiful time, the daily life in the studio shared with other artists, friends, among them my dear Gloria, the physical work, the dust, the cold hands, the snow... I look at it and it still gives me so many emotions.

How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?

I chose to live in the country, before in Italy and now in Romania. I need solitude and silence, I spend most part of my day with my dogs only. I love travelling and unfamiliar experiences in general. I’m into cinema and photography. I charge my batteries with nature, we are nature eventually. I am against speciesism and I support several animal protection associations.

What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?

I will try to answer shortly, this is a huge subject. I believe contemporary design is inevitable, every product is shaped by the Zeitgeist somehow, on the contrary, manufacturing tradition is at risk and should be protected. In my country, here in Romania, everywhere I see knowledge thinning out and vanishing. Even if I grew up as a student in a pretty conceptual scenario, I am generally not very interested in artists who do not use their own hands.

Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?

Maybe Mama, one of my very first pieces. I can give some context and then I hope the image will speak for itself. When I first learnt how to solder, my mother gave me an old golden watch of hers that wasn’t working anymore, I separated the straps and made two rings out of them, one for me and one for her. I don’t have a good relationship with my mother, it is deep, intense, but not good.

Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?

Aluminium, I have used some can foil in the past but I am willing to do some casting with the aluminium waste I collect at home. Same for plastic, I’ve used it already but never tried casting or melting, I am very interested in the work of Precious Plastic community, they do amazing things. Let’s say in general I am interested in working with readily available materials, there are so many that it seems unnecessary to look for more.

How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?

Honestly, not bad. I try to see limits as a challenge. The pandemic froze the time for a while and I think it can be a very interesting experience in a world that is running so fast. Also, I was able to enjoy online a lot of events that were otherwise geographically far away. I am grateful for that and I think it made the community even more united.

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

I am not good at forecasting. I prefer to focus on the present of contemporary jewelry, which is incredibly rich.

Find more about the designer Francesca Guarnieri