“People are the true jewels”
A determined woman with her own opinions, and optimistic by nature. This is how Ana Cardim begins to define herself, the protagonist of this engaging conversation. As a jewelry designer, she operates in the realm of pragmatic reality and staunchly defends the role of women in redefining a new framework of mentalities. “I would like my work to contribute, effectively, to a significant improvement in our society. It is these concrete and well-defined dreams that nurture my driving force: the place where my identity is defined.” Before we proceed to the interview, get to know the story of Ana Cardim, the origin of her brand—which bears her name—the battles she fights as an entrepreneur, and the values she promotes as an “artist-activist,” woman, and mother.
I started my first experiences of creative expression through jewelry about 25 years ago. I immediately felt an innate desire to create pieces that transcended the common boundaries of mere adornment. After a few years, I discovered my own language through author jewelry, which allowed me to intellectually and originally question the contours of the social context in which we live. This journey was strongly marked by the academic training component in the theory and philosophy of the arts. It was in that context that I understood the transversality of the artistic act and its potential impact on reality concerning collective thought.
In the field of author jewelry, I created the concept of “jewel-device” as a vehicle for critique in the public sphere and developed various interdisciplinary works during my time living in Barcelona. I received support from various institutional entities for the realization and promotion of these projects.
Twelve years ago, I became a mother. It was a total revolution in my life as a woman and, above all, as an artist. I had to reassess all my priorities and set aside all the artistic projects I had imagined continuing to develop. It was then that I decided to start a project more aligned with my reality, one that not only responded to my financial autonomy but could also, simultaneously, reconnect with the ideals I defended and believed in as an artist.
I knew from the beginning that it would be a process as long as it was painful on the path of perseverance. Thus, in 2014, the embryo of my current jewelry brand emerged through a costume jewelry line that was registered as “Restart Collection.”
Read the entire conversation in JoiaPro 98.
15 de October, 2024
Atualidade
