Interview excerpt with Graciela Fuentes, the designer behind Tirana Jewelry, May 2010
1.Why did you start your jewelry line?
I was trained as a sculptor in college, and had been working as a visual artist for several years, doing digital photography and video, when I realized that I wanted to get back to working with my hands more than my computer. My very first piece of jewelry was carved out of alabaster, and it made me begin to think about jewelry as mini sculptures or metallic collages. Also the idea of creating objects that could be touched and worn appealed to me. I have collected jewelry for as long as I can remember, and I found myself frequently altering vintage pieces for myself, so it was an easy transition from collecting to starting my own line.
2. What is the inspiration behind your jewelry collection?
My latest collections are derived from objects found during canvassing antique markets. I have always been fascinated by ornamentation, whether in architecture or every day objects, and whenever I see something I like my mind wants to transform it into something I can twist around my finger, hang from my neck, or somehow mesh with the body.
The objects I find are the initial inspiration, in the case of my last collection it was Victorian pocket watches that I found in London. But the final look of the collection is layered with the experience of living in Williamsburg, surrounded by industrial buildings from Brooklyn’s past. (My last apartment used to be a sweater factory).
3. What does "Tirana" mean?
The name of my brand has its own story. Around the time I was thinking about focusing on jewelry full-time, I was DJing at these parties organized by a group of Mexican artists in Brooklyn. The parties were centered around the over-dramatic, romantic music that we grew up with in the late 70s and 80s in Mexico. My DJ name was “Tirana del Amor” (tyrant of love), which was a nod to an old song about a woman who doesn’t return the affection of a love struck man. To me, the word “Tirana” embodies a strong, confident woman who makes her own decisions, which seemed the perfect message for my line.
3. Why do you choose to use recycled materials in your jewelry collections
My jewelry is all about recycling, remixing and transformation. I like to repurpose antique elements in my work, however because many of these pieces may contain metals that can irritate sensitive skin, I make molds of the various pieces and cast them in sterling silver, brass or gold. When I cast, I use post consumer recycled metals because mining generates environmental contaminants and causes erosion. Fortunately, there is substantial supply of these metals. Who doesn’t have a few odd gold or silver earrings in a forgotten drawer?
4. As a cross cultural artist hailing from Mexico how do you think your experiences abroad have helped to shape your work?
Being part of different cultures is probably the aspect that has shaped my work the most. I’m lucky because through my family I have connections to many different places including Mexico, London, India and Egypt. Both Mexico and India have an incredibly rich jewelry tradition in silver and gold, and body ornamentation is an integral part of each culture. This has influenced the way I understand jewelry and its relationship to the body. Last time I was in India I met an incredible artisan working with Bidri, a centuries old metal craft. In his workshop I had the opportunity to learn a bit about his incredibly intricate craft, which may well be a starting point for a future collection. London has influenced me in a different way. I love the East End with its vibrant collisions of people from many different disciplines coming together and blurring distinctions between fashion, art and design.
5. Who is the typical Tirana Jewelry consumer? How would you describe her?
The typical Tirana customer is fashion forward, confident with her own sense of style, and cares about the personal care and attention that go into my pieces, all of which I hand-finish in my studio. She typically buys jewelry for herself. I love it when someone falls in love with a piece and decides she has to have it! That’s the way I build my personal collection of treasures and I like to know that my customers are going to appreciate and enjoy wearing my work.