Daniella Castro Vergara

Santiago, Chile.

I'm a Bachelor of Design from PUC and hold an Advanced Degree in Artistic Jewelry from the Escola Massana in Barcelona, where I graduated in 2006. Even before graduating, I was already exhibiting and selling my jewelry in galleries, the most significant being the now-defunct Hipotesi Gallery, the first gallery specializing in contemporary jewelry in the city.

Also, together with my partner Alicia, we designed jewelry for a major Spanish brand and created a "bisu-jewelry" brand, a concept we coined as a hybrid between these two worlds. We were interested in expressing ourselves regardless of the material, enjoying the use of a lot of color, and having fun beyond conceptual gallery work. With that brand, we worked with shops and at fairs.

Once back in Chile, I worked in jewelry for a short time, but I left because I felt that the conditions in the country were not suitable to make a living solely from the trade. I came from a place with a lot of support, where the constant growth of arts and crafts is encouraged. I decided to dedicate my time to raising my daughters and attending all the creative workshops that interested me (Mapuche weaving, rug embroidery, crochet, tatting, sewing with a sewing machine, Japanese bookbinding, etc.). I also got certified in theoretical art courses. Only at the end of 2022, after eight years, did I decide to return to creating in this field. It has been a complex reunion, almost like learning technically all over again, and my worldview is very different now. This is where I am now, wanting to grow, even looking to grow in scale, and I am very inspired to transition into medium-sized sculpture.

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Statement:

"I am not unaware of all the problems of the world today; I am very concerned about issues such as harm to nature, animals, and ourselves. I want to reflect this in my work, not only in the themes but also in the materials I use. I seek to combine instinct, contemplation, and emotion in the practice of my craft, to guide, as much as possible, towards awareness through beauty."

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