Spot the Designer - Roberta Consalvo Sances
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Since I was a child, I have been attracted and fascinated by the sky and the universe. I wanted to be an astronaut to be able to wander in another dimension without chains, exploring the unknown and making discoveries. I am still very fascinated by mystery and I always try to look beyond the surface.
When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?
I discovered this passion in middle age, after a career in administration. It started actually as a hobby, after attending a jewelry course when I was living in London. I understood that I wanted to create pieces of jewelry that originate from an idea, a concept, and that are not only decoration. That’s why I decided to attend Alchimia Jewelry School in Florence where I got my BFA and MFA.
What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?
My first significant body of work focused on the Catalan artist Antony Tapies. After researching and studying his conceptual approach to art and his works, and after visiting his foundation in Barcelona, I made a collection of ten pieces. Interest in the matter, textures, experiments with different materials, use of found objects, are the main characteristics that made me fall in love with this artist to whom I dedicated my collection in 2015.
How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?
When my mind needs a rest, I like to go walking, in this way I feel free and I find harmony again. I also enjoy very much to go to contemporary art exhibitions to be inspired by other artists. What really charges my batteries is travelling. I like to discover new places, new things, new environments. Inspirations always come to me when I am on the road!
What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?
It means a link between past and present and a challenge for creativity to produce contemporary pieces using traditional techniques or ideas.
Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?
How many are we? Identity can be fragile, multiple, forged and influenced by experiences or circumstances. Which identity do we decide to show today? The exploration of this concept and experimenting with cardboard led me to this piece of jewellery, where the wearer can choose which identity to use and show. The piece is a brooch intended as a voluntary exhibition of our image. Cardboards are distressed and the colors used are mixed together to underline the use of different identities. The use of gold and iron symbolizes the good and the bad in each of us, the dark and the shining side of each identity.
How do you choose the concepts for your jewelry collections?
Inspiration comes to me from my daily life, it can be a sentence I read, the title of a song, the story I heard, an image…It depends also on how I feel…Once I am struck by something, I start thinking of the topic and start to make research and mind maps.
Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?
I would like to use banana fibres or mushrooms.
How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?
During the lockdown, I was unexpectedly very productive and active. I told myself that I had to keep my mind busy and that I shouldn’t waste the opportunity of having so much time at my disposal. So I made lots of experiments at home with the materials I had. I tried to keep my creativity alive and I am actually working on a project I started during the pandemic. Of course, I had ups and downs and it was hard some days to find the motivation to do and create something.
How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?
I think contemporary jewelry will be more and more affected by digital technology and the use of recycled materials.
Find more about the designer Roberta Consalvo Sances