INTERVIEW: ANNE CARLY ABAD, THE POETIC JOURNEY OF ART IN JEWELS
Trend Privé Magazine delves into the captivating journey of Anne Carly Abad, a passionate jewelry artisan who embarked on her creative venture in early 2015 with the intricate crafting of bead and wire jewelry using copper and silver. Anne’s affinity for gemstones, notably jade, is portrayed vividly throughout the narrative, emphasizing her fascination with the symbolism and tactile allure of these natural elements. The visionary founder of ArtinJewels, drawing parallels between her illustrious literary background and her transition into the realm of jewelry design. Anne’s multi-faceted journey from a celebrated poet to a renowned jeweler unfolds with an invigorating blend of creativity and purpose, showcasing her profound artistic sensibilities and commitment to craftsmanship.
The story adeptly captures Anne’s evolution from a hobbyist creating jewelry pieces for colleagues to the establishment of Art in Jewels, a burgeoning enterprise driven by a shared love for gemstones and bespoke craftsmanship. The narrative skillfully portrays Anne’s transition from a full-time job to dedicating her energy towards her jewelry-making endeavors, underlining the challenges and triumphs she encountered along the way. One of the standout aspects of the article is its portrayal of how Anne’s creations resonated with her clientele, who found solace and meaning in the personalized and symbolic jewelry pieces she fashioned. The incorporation of client requests for custom designs symbolizing significant life milestones underscores the emotional depth and storytelling aspect of Anne’s creations, elevating ArtinJewels beyond mere accessories to wearable artifacts of personal narratives.
Anne’s formative years as a painter and writer come to life in the narrative, offering a glimpse into her artistic influences and the thematic underpinnings that define her creative expression. Trend Privé Magazine illustrates how her exploration of the fantastical and the speculative in her literary pursuits laid the foundation for her foray into jewelry design, emphasizing the seamless continuum of storytelling and symbolism that pervades her work. Central to the story is the poetic ethos that permeates Anne’s jewelry creations, as described by her loyal clientele who appreciate the meticulous intent and narrative depth infused into each piece. By intertwining memories, experiences, and emotions into her designs, Anne transcends mere adornment to craft wearable masterpieces that resonate with profound meaning and artistry.
The article also sheds light on Anne’s commitment to ethical and sustainable practices within the jewelry industry, showcasing her dedication to uplifting local Filipino craftsmanship while maintaining environmentally conscious production methods. Anne’s collections, such as “Fragments” and “Virtues,” are lauded for their innovative use of rare gemstones and their evocative storytelling, embodying a harmonious blend of art, culture, and conscientious design.
Furthermore, the article highlights Anne’s global presence in prestigious exhibitions like Metal & Smith in New York City and Flying Solo Paris, underscoring her rising prominence in the international jewelry scene. Her distinctive approach to creating wearable art pieces that celebrate human connections and artistic expression positions ArtinJewels as a beacon of innovation and storytelling within the industry.
Trend Privé Magazine paints a vivid and inspiring portrait of Anne’s creative odyssey with ArtinJewels, encapsulating the fusion of artistry, passion, and human connection that defines her jewelry-making enterprise. Anne’s story stands as a testament to the transformative power of creativity and the enduring appeal of handcrafted artistry in an increasingly digital world. Immerse yourself into Anne Carly Abad’s transformative journey from poet to jeweler, illuminating the poetic threads that intertwine her artistic pursuits. Anne’s unwavering commitment to crafting meaningful jewelry pieces that transcend time and trends underscores the enduring legacy of Art in Jewels as a testament to artistic integrity and creativity.
Our exclusive interview with Anne artfully navigates through the challenges posed by the pandemic years, highlighting Anne’s resilience and unwavering commitment to sustaining her craft while supporting her network of suppliers and craftsmen. This narrative thread adds a layer of depth to Anne’s entrepreneurial journey, portraying her as not only a skilled artisan but also a catalyst for creativity and livelihood within her community:
You transitioned from being a painter to a jeweler, with a notable background in literary arts and receiving recognition as “Poet of the Year”. How have your experiences as a painter and poet influenced your approach to jewelry design and crafting pieces that convey poetic depth?
As a painter and poet, I’ve been enamored by the behavior of light (transparency, color, refraction) and also the fleeting nature of human experiences. Like how the light changes, moments come and go, preserved only in our memories. The lasting nature of gems and precious metals contrasts beautifully with the transitory essence of being alive.
Your poetry collection “We’ve Been Here Before” showcases speculative themes with a science fiction twist. How do these imaginative and otherworldly elements in your literary work translate into the creative process of designing jewelry pieces at ArtinJewels?
My literary work has mostly focused on near-future scenarios and elements of magic in our everyday realities. When designing jewelry, I often imagine the central gems as a sort of persona in a poem. There would be scenes in my mind like, for instance, gold vines rising from the ground and then weaving around a pair of garnets, or pink sapphire birds singing in the morning light, or even stars descending to keep a lonely pearl company.
Your jewelry is often described as having “poetic restraint”, with each element thoughtfully chosen to convey intent and meaning. How do you balance artistic expression with this intentional approach in your designs?
For me, my way of expression is finding that restraint to use precise colors and accents in every design. Unnecessary lines are removed. My designs aren’t minimalist but rather intentional in every detail, and for me finding that precision is my form of expression.
The concept of distilling memories and experiences into tangible forms through jewelry is a recurring theme in your work. Can you share a specific example of how a particular memory or moment inspired one of your jewelry collections?
The collection “View from the Window” is very close to my heart as it contains the pain of living within lockdown, and also the hope of what lies beyond the bleakness of the times. During pandemic, the Philippines had one of the longest lockdowns compared to the rest of the world. The alienation from family, friends, and loved ones was one of the hardest things we had to face. View from the Window features the toi et moi ring Sweet Nothings and a mystic pair of earrings called “Tree of Life”.
As a collector of gemstones yourself, what significance do gemstones hold in your creative process and how do you choose the stones that best encapsulate the essence of each collection?
Gems serve as a medium for color, and they also impart their own unique lores into each piece. The sapphire, for instance, has long been a symbol of wisdom. Aside from that, over the years, it has grown to mean the promise of love and fidelity. In our Wisdom Collection, sapphire plays a major role in the designs. A rare green rose wraps around the finger in our “Flowers Bloom” design. Meanwhile, in our “The moon shines” design, a deep blue green sapphire plays the role of a lake surrounded by the reflection of the moon and the stars.
Exhibiting your work in renowned locations like New York City and Paris must have been exciting opportunities. How have these experiences influenced your approach to showcasing your designs and connecting with a wider audience?
Traveling and exhibiting our jewelry in different countries inspires me to explore other possibilities for executing my ideas. I started to prefer mixing yellow, rose, and/or white gold after spending time in New York, where I saw different artisans playing with the metal colors in their own designs. I also started to love the unique inclusions in gems as I learned more about the sustainability of utilizing all kinds of gemstone clarities. I loved how many Western designers and clientele have learned to see beyond “loop clean” stones and now use rustic sapphires and salt-and-pepper diamonds in jewelry.
“Fragm_nts” and “Virtues” are among your recent jewelry collections featuring rare gems like cornflower blue sapphire and neon aquamarine. What drew you to these specific gems and how do they contribute to the storytelling within each collection?
Virtues and memories are treasures in themselves. Having spent many of my younger days by the sea, I remember collecting different things on the shore, like sea glass, shells, and strange branches that must have once belonged to an old tree. When I happened upon unique patterns in parti sapphires, I selected one to depict the ebb and flow of the tides in our Driftwood design. The cornflower blue sapphire in our Prudence ring is set in an elevated setting, as if to give light to the importance of foresight.
The moments of ineffable beauty you seek to capture in your jewelry are often found in fleeting instances. How do you translate these ephemeral moments into lasting pieces of wearable art that evoke similar emotions of awe and delight?
Selecting the stones is my first step in capturing ephemeral moments. The cut lends much to the storytelling. Brilliant cutting reminds me of stars and sunbathed lakes, rivers, and ice formations. Slices and rose cuts remind me of air, pillows, mountains, and sand dunes. When creating a piece, I compose the colors and textures of the stones and metals as I would the words in a poem.
Art in Jewels has released 14 collections over seven years. How has your design aesthetic evolved during this time, and what are some key themes or inspirations that have consistently informed your creations?
When I started, I was so focused on choosing the right thing all the time–the right color of metal, the right width of the band, the right sidestones. I felt like I couldn’t design beyond what was “right”. It was a year later that I got tired of what I was seeing. I wanted to explore where the designs could take me if I did some unexpected things. Like what if I used more than two colors? Or what if I used too big a stone? When I tried new things, I think that was when I started to “paint” the concepts and experiences with the gemstones.
Anne, your approach to creating jewelry goes beyond mere adornment, aiming to craft pieces that stand for more. Could you elaborate on the deeper meanings or messages you intend to convey through your jewelry designs?
As my background is heavily influenced by haiku poetry, meaning itself is really in the moment that the beholder looks at the piece, and then says, “That’s beautiful.” I think there is no way to replicate how sunlight illuminates our days, or how the moon is especially beautiful at night. People themselves are not always in a state wherein they are able to appreciate beauty. But when it does happen, and the beholder “connects” with the piece, then the meaning is there in that experience.
Collaborating with gemstones and metals to create artful jewelry requires a delicate balance of technical skill and artistic vision. How do you navigate this balance in your design process to ensure both beauty and craftsmanship shine through in each piece?
Making friends with the gem providers helps me gain access to unique cutting that I love to use. I am also able to choose rare stones with such personalities that one may never find a similar one again. If the right gem does not yet come along, I choose to wait. In crafting, I have made it a point to talk to the craftsmen about the intent of each piece. Why prongs need to be a certain roundness (or sharpness), why a round shape is used, and not a square. Since I’ve worked with the same people throughout the years, we have a good synergy in achieving the art direction of each jewel that we create.
Looking towards the future, what aspirations or goals do you have for Art in Jewels, and how do you envision continuing to push the boundaries of creativity and storytelling through your jewelry creations?
I constantly dream of bringing my designs beyond the Philippines, and reaching more people with the stories that I want to tell. However I want each piece to be distinctly my design, with the design DNA of every jewel I’ve made. And most of all I envision people loving their ArtinJewels pieces as much as I loved making them.
As ArtinJewels enters into an ever-changing future, the brand aims to uplift local Filipino skill by transcending trends and challenging the limits of design and craftsmanship. While doing so, the brand seeks to maintain ethical work conditions, reducing wastage in the production of its finished goods and packaging, thereby respecting both the needs of people and the environment.
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The ArtinJewels showroom in Manila is by appointment only. Visit us at 2nd Floor, #82 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
