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Rita Santos

"I studied industrial design at the university and did postgraduate work in jewelry design at the PUC in Rio de Janeiro. I began my career in handicrafts working with fabric, porcelain, paper and bisque, while photography and painting are my hobbies. In 2001, I took basic and advanced jewelry courses at the Atelier Mourão and I loved designing my own work. From July 2003 to August 2005, I worked as jewelry teacher at the Atelier Mourão and in 2006, after concluding a course in jewelry design enterprise at the University's Instituto Gênesis - Incubator of Jewelry Design, I opened my own school, the Espaço Rita Santos, where I teach the art of the jewelry. Besides teaching, I have my own workshop where I create, develop and produce my pieces.

"Usually, the creative process begins when I come into direct contact with the material – silver, gold and precious stones. Bracelets, pendants, necklaces, rings and earrings take shape on my workbench. I like pure shapes such as the circle and spiral. I adore curved lines, formless, endless. Mystical themes such as angels and talismans recur in my work and they reflect a spiritual side. In addition, I like to explore the texture of metal with a variety of techniques. I sometimes crochet silver filaments. My designs are different, highlighting the originality of a unique piece. Silver threads give lightness, and burning the metal results in textures that are never repeated; they are always surprising.

"Another form of creation comes from observation. It can be a leaf from a yellow tree, an unusual shape drawn on a wall, a detail in an iron gate. I reproduce the images that I capture with a glance and, with these discovered images, I develop my collections. My research process is conducted with the solid academic formation that allows me to develop a method of creation.

"I create jewelry that is contemporary, clean, robust and minimalist, crafting one piece at a time at my workbench, from melting down the silver to its final finish. In my vocation, I mix a strong influence of the fine arts with a love of the craft. I see each piece of jewelry as a work of art."