Meet Minkara Jewelry
Where are you from and does that affect your work?
I’d say I belong to a lot of places, as I have traveled a lot and I have lived in many different locations - Madrid, Naples, Rome, Canada, Australia, and several spots in the USA… but if you ask where I was born, I was born and raised in Madrid, Spain.
Having been to so many countries has made me seen the world around me with open eyes, definitely affecting my work by taking mental notes of all the landscapes, nature, cultures, textures, colors .. and mixing all that into eclectic collections that are inspired by all the things I lived and saw in each of those beautiful locations.
I’d love to dive into hearing about all of those travel stories eventually! What is your biggest artistic influence?
Nature plays a big part in my inspiration process but also the places I've been to and all the elements I encountered while traveling: Textures, colors, shapes, materials and people.
On another hand, I have always been into botany and plants (as a pharmacist I guess that's unavoidable!) and when I first saw my australian teacher John - a royal artist, sculptor and master opal jeweler - I soon wanted to learn his technique so he taught me how to turn organic materials into living Jewelry pieces… amongst other things. John travelled the world in search for stones, pearls and all kinds of materials that he then incorporated into this designs. He was one of my biggest inspirations as well; thanks to him I quickly found my passion in metal smithing, as this allowed me to use the chemistry involved in the process to combine the beauty of different elements and natural materials in my designs.
The influence of nature on your pieces is so clear… but I had no idea you were a pharmacist! Very cool. How do you define success as an artist?
I guess success to me is first, being able to find the right technique to transform an idea into an actual piece (that can sometimes be challenging) and also seeing your pieces go with the right people, no matter how weird or unusual. That means you're doing something good.
I imagine it must be so special seeing who falls in love with each piece. What would you say is the hardest part of your creation process?
Sometimes I have an idea to make a piece of jewelry but the material does not allow making it because it would be too fragile or not suitable to wear it comfortably. This happens a lot with those pieces inspired directly by nature , when I try to cast a tiny lichen into a necklace, for example, and it does not work.. or a tiny something. However when it works it’s a reason to celebrate because the piece becomes so special. I remember last year when I succeeded electroforming a sea cucumber and a cicada into a pendant and a pin respectively, of course they had to find that special person to take them home but when they did, it was amazing to share the story of the making with the customer and sharing how unique that piece they took home was.
Another challenging part is the tech part of running a business… the social media slavery!
How has your style changed over time?
Uhh! I started making bangles with leather, beads and fish skin that I found in Iceland…that style was very chunky! Then I learned metal smithing, wax carving and electroforming while living in Australia and my style evolved into more detailed pieces, until now that I also like to follow a minimal, dainty style in many of my designs.
After moving to LA, I started admiring the Art Deco building styles in the Downtown Jewelry district and that also made me start some totally different pieces more inspired in shape. In the end the style evolves with you depending on what surrounds you with time, but always keeping a still seed in it that does not change.
What is your favorite piece that you have created and why?
I love the Opal chevron ring set. I created it mixing inspiration from different places travels and it became one of my forever pieces. The Australian opal, being all of them one of a kind, symbolizes the uniqueness of a person - it can be you or another.. how ever you envision it.The arrow means continuity and direction, despite of anything and everything and whatever is going on. And the bubble ring symbolizes the ups and downs of daily life.
So the three pieces would mean something like: “ Embrace yourself, take in mind that not always will always be perfect and just keep going”
What do you love most about Pasadena?
I love how green Pasadena is, the kind people who live in it, I love the Descanso Gardens nearby and the old adobe houses…
I have participated in a continuous way in several markets in Pasadena from the beginning of my jewelry adventure and I have really good connections here. Some customers from Pasadena have become good friends with the years and I am very thankful for that. But what I like most is the good memories I have there. I've seen my baby girl grow over the years and enjoy every Jackalope spring market since she was born... that's very special!
That is seriously so special and cool to hear! Anything special you would like to share?
Lately I have been fascinated with old shapes and the intricate designs from last century, so I have incorporated that vintage look into my collections, mixing old stones and rings refurbished from vintage pieces with nature inspired style with art deco shapes… I have also made some new styles with the electroformed leaves and have incorporated a pin to every leaf pendant, making it so that it can be worn in two different styles. I am very excited about my current collection and I am so looking forward to sharing them with everyone at Pasadena ARTWalk!
We are so excited to explore your collection in person!
Find Minkara Jewelry at Pasadena ARTWalk on September 21st & 22nd.
Website | https://minkara.life
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/minkarajewelry