THE ENCOUNTER
In April 2010, the "Grey Area" symposium (http://www.greyareasimposium.org/blog/) was held in Mexico City, bringing together jewelers from all over the world. This massive meeting aimed to analyze contemporary Latin American jewelry, versus European. For five days there were exhibitions, round tables and presentations on the role, direction, death and rebirth of this discipline. This event had the participation of at least 15 independent Chilean jewelers.
It was at that moment that four Chilean goldsmiths met who had the same desire to "form something." Pamela de la Fuente, Liliana Ojeda, Pía Walker and Massiel Muñoz were convinced that the artistic jewelry industry in Chile needed unity to become stronger.
THE BIRTH
As soon as they returned from Mexico, these four managers met weekly for a period of seven months. When they felt ready, they took the first step: Get their closest colleagues excited about the idea. In a short time, they managed to gather a significant number of jewelers convinced of the idea of forming an association.
In October 2010, 34 jewelers met and founded JoyaBrava before a notary, the first guild association of contemporary Chilean jewelry.
"That night, after signing, the four of us stayed celebrating in a bar in Bellavista, we were happy: we felt like we had just given birth...", Liliana Ojeda.
NAME
The name of the Association arose in honor of the "cueca brava". Not necessarily because its managers are cuequeras, but rather because jewelry in Chile has undergone a transformation similar to that of the national dance. In other words, it has undergone a strong renovation, opposing traditional jewelry. New spaces have been taken over, integrating creators from other disciplines such as designers, architects, sociologists, artists and theoreticians.
MANAGERS
Who are these women entrepreneurs? They are the Art Historian and Jeweler Pamela de la Fuente, Director of the School of Jewelry that bears her name and known for her collection of jewelery with computer chips; Visual Artist Liliana Ojeda, with a Master's degree in England where she was awarded for her experimental work with the "electroforming" technique; Pía Walker, Industrial Designer specializing in jewelry in Barcelona and known in Chile for her "Bandada" collection and Massiel Muñoz, Commercial Engineer, Visual Artist and Jeweler, known for her brand "Atipika".
"The jewelry industry in Chile is very closed, people dedicated to this discipline generally work alone or in small groups. They do not share their data or their creations because there is no tradition oriented towards research and teaching in the which provide natural spaces for the exchange of reflections", according to Liliana Ojeda.
THE LAUNCH
One month after the founding of JoyaBrava, its launch was organized at the Museum of Contemporary Art. About 150 people attended and the Dutch master Ruudt Peters, artist and jeweler, was invited and he was surprised by the number of members that this young association had brought together. An ephemeral and disruptive assembly of cardboard boxes grouped in two rows in the central part of the large exhibition hall, enchanted visitors. In them, an emblematic work of each JoyaBrava partner was exhibited.
