ANDREEA CIRESICA PRICOP

Designer biography:

As a child, I always loved painting and modeling, so I followed the sculpture and painting courses in Bucharest (Romania), my native city (Sept. '1969), at an art school. When I arrived in Italy, I began to study architecture ("La Sapienza" University, in Rome) and, between architectural models and drawings, I cultivated, however, my appeal to art. I work in Rome, as an architect, but I always create jewels, which are my passion. For what concerns the jewelry, I am self-taught, I started assembling existing beads, but then I chose to make them myself, in the shapes and shades I wanted. I deepened the study of paper and papier-mâché, buying modeling pastes or experimenting different recipes and making them myself. My choices on materials and the creation of plant-based jewels also coincided with my becoming vegan, therefore, I am constantly searching for materials, colors, tools, which best correspond to my philosophy of life.

Collection concept:

The collection I created, entitled "Living and dying coral reef" is composed from necklace, bracelet, earrings, brooch and ring. In my creations, Nature is always my inspiring Muse who, in my opinion, creates the most wonderful works of art. My jewels do not try to imitate it faithfully, but to remember it, in its shapes or colors. The collection is, therefore, inspired by corals. According to research from Penn State University, the coral genotype can survive for thousands of years (the oldest being over 5,000 years old), making them perhaps the longest-lived animals in the world. I have created this collection in the hope of sensitizing and encouraging people to choose a "plant-based coral", thus safeguarding coral reefs, such a fragile ecosystem.

I usually make myself the cellulose-pulp from which I create my jewels, using recycled paper, water, starch, flour, oil, etc. Sometimes, however, I buy modeling clay, generally using Creative Paperclay, natural, biodegradable and non-toxic, or DAS. To paint the beads, I use colors that I get from fruit or vegetables, spices or various plants; I experimented with painting with coffee or red wine, or colors obtained from the crushing of earth or rocks. Otherwise, I only use vegan watercolors; as protection, I apply a thin layer of water-based transparent varnish or NaturResin, a 100% natural, non-toxic, eco and vegan-friendly, VOC-free, water-based mineral resin.

My paper-clay jewels are “plant-based”, non-toxic and come from renewable natural resources, such as cellulose, which can be extracted from wood (50% cellulose), but also from other materials, such as cotton (100 % cellulose), the most abundant natural polymer, a resistant, recyclable, biocompatible and non-toxic material, renewable raw material par excellence, in continuous regeneration. In the hope that the cellulose will be extracted mainly from sustainable cotton, I use recycled paper to make the paperclay. I do not use ovens for drying the beads, to avoid further energy expenditure, they gradually dry in the air. I always check out not to use toxic products or products that contain elements deriving from animals and I am constantly looking for products that do not experiment on them. I like to take care of the environment and contribute to reforestation, donating to Onetreeplanted or Tree-Nation a part of the proceeds for each jewel sold, thus planting new trees, where they need most.

Andreea Ciresica Pricop (Italy)

ANDREEA CIRESICA PRICOP

Designer biography: