Here's How You Can Add Wearable Art To Your Jewelry Collection
Thanks to the ongoing collaboration of Gunita, one need no longer wonder what would happen when a renowned jeweler such as Suzette Malig Ayson, founder of JMA Jewelry, gets together with an acclaimed brass sculptor such as 2006 TOYM awardee Michael Cacnio. With both individuals inspired to promote their respective disciplines, the offshoot is a once in a lifetime collection that turns Art into something wearable, versatile, and portable.
It’s the Gunita Collection; presently 15 one-of-a-kind pieces that celebrate Cacnio’s sculptures by crafting them into wearable pieces of jewelry that utilize 18-karat gold, diamonds and precious gemstones. And the truly wonderful thing about the pieces is how the collaboration has resulted in pieces that faithfully depict the life and movement of the Cacnio brass scultures.
Thematically, Michael Cacnio’s sculptures have always been celebratory, recalling his Malabon childhood, and transforming these memories into beautiful works that evoke carefree innocence, a playful attitude. And via everyday objects that form elements of said childhood - ladders, swings, kites, distinctly Filipino homes - he’s turned our memories into physical objects, i.e. his sculptures. So the challenge for JMA Jewelry was how to transform these sculptures into miniaturized versions that would contain the same spirit and zest for life. The intrinsic value would be a given, seeing as how precious metals and stones would be employed - but it was how to make them still Art, but now wearable.
Cacnio took a lead in the designs, and worked in close collaboration with JMA Jewelry to perfect the placement of the precious stones, and the necessary adjustments on every piece to make certain that each output would possess that fine balance of attractive and wearable. That the pieces are all one-of-a-kind only add to the unique quality of owning a piece and being secure in the knowledge that no one else has the same exact piece. While the price may reflect all this, the pieces stand as testament to the wealth of possibilities when artist and Craftsman do work together.
2006 TOYM Awardee Michael Cacnio discussing with a guest the pieces still to be developed.
JMA Jewelry founder Suzette Malig-Ayson with Duday Tuason.
On one wall during the launch, there were mounted drawings of designs that had not formed part of the 15-piece collection and could now be pre-ordered and commissioned. It was an interesting twist to how these events could be mounted. And given the beauty of what was on offer, I don’t doubt that there were several takers throughout the late afternoon and evening.
Photos from @jmajewelry
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