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Joao Carlos

"I began traveling through Brazil at the end of the 70s, making wire jewelry. I was living in Arraial do Cabo, a tourist town on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, when a German friend of mine brought me some alpaca pieces. We formed a partnership and produced pieces from alpaca, later deciding to move on to silver.

"Visitors from other countries usually take great interest in my style and designs, which I produce cut Brazilian stones. My inspiration to create new pieces comes mainly from the streets, where I observe what people are wearing and what magazines are publishing. I never have a set design when creating a new piece; I tap the ideas that I store deep in my head and follow the format of the stone.

"I am always learning, though I never studied formally. In the 70s it was very difficult to find information on the making of jewelry. It was my friends who provided the most important pointers as I went along.

"Choosing this path of artisan work was a conscious yet impulsive decision. I was a banker, I was having a crisis, and I was very dissatisfied with my life as a bureaucrat. I decided to quit my job and move to a small town. Only after I took a leap from 'the system' into total freedom did things begin to change and happen. I have suffered many financial problems over the years, but I could always invest in my work.

"One of my working projects is to go back to living outside of the city. I much prefer living in a small town, where it is possible to work without stress in my workshop. My dream today is to be able to unite quality of life with productivity. I believe that Novica can help a lot with this idea, once the market for artisan work grows."