Colectiva Tilde

February 13, 2023 |

Alejandra Salinas Pérez, Enseñando el cobre (Show your true colors), 2021. Copper, vitreous enamel, 16 x 1½ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist
Alejandra Salinas Pérez, Enseñando el cobre (Show your true colors), 2021. Copper, vitreous enamel, 16 x 1½ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist
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Cassandra Adame, Maru López, Sandra Salaices, and Alejandra Salinas Pérez

Colectiva Tilde is a collective of four Latin American and Latinx jewelers: Cassandra Adame, Maru López, Sandra Salaices, and Alejandra Salinas Pérez. Contemporary jewelry is the language they use to share stories from the varied experiences and perspectives of their bicultural realities. From this vantage point Colectiva Tilde strives to build connections and opportunities for Latin American and Latinx jewelers in both the United States and Latin America.

 

 

Metalsmith invited the members of Colectiva Tilde to share their own work and a selection from an artist they admire. 

Colectiva Tilde was formed virtually in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. We are currently four Spanish-speaking artists from Latin America and the Caribbean, who use contemporary jewelry as our means of expression: Alejandra Salinas Pérez, Cassandra Adame, Maru López, and Sandra Salaices.The collective was born to investigate the roots of our Latin American culture as viewed from the lived experiences of each of us.
We seek to create a space to inspire, reflect, and ignite conversations through the jewelry we make. Contemporary jewelry is the language we use to share stories from the varied experiences and perspectives of our bicultural realities. From this vantage point, we strive to build connections and opportunities for Latin American and Latinx jewelers in both the United States and Latin America.

Colectiva Tilde se formó virtualmente en marzo de 2020 al inicio de la pandemia. Actualmente somos cuatro artistas de habla hispana de México y el Caribe, que utilizamos la joyería contemporánea como nuestro medio de expresión: Alejandra Salinas Pérez, Cassandra Adame, Maru López y Sandra Salaices. La colectiva nace para indagar sobre las raíces de nuestra cultura latinoamericana vistas desde las vivencias de cada artista.
Buscamos crear un espacio para inspirar, reflexionar e iniciar conversaciones a través de las piezas que hacemos. La joyería contemporánea es el lenguaje que usamos para compartir historias desde las diferentes experiencias y perspectivas de nuestras realidades biculturales. Desde este punto de vista, nos esforzamos por construir conexiones y oportunidades para los joyeros latinoamericanos y latinos tanto en los EE. UU. como en América Latina.

 

 

Cassandra Adame
@cassjewelryart

Cassandra Adame is a transborder artist who lives and is steeped in two cultures and countries. She is also a jewelry and ceramics instructor. Born in El Paso, Texas, then raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, she pulls inspiration from her sense of home and place—like a souvenir, her jewelry is a portrait of the city and home the wearer carries with them.

Cassandra Adame es una artista transfronteriza (que vive y se involucra en la cultura y vida cotidiana de dos países), instructora binacional de joyería y cerámica nacida en El Paso, Texas, y criada en Ciudad Juárez, México. Cassandra toma inspiración de su sentido de pertenencia y casa—como un souvenir, su joyería es un retrato de una ciudad y hogar que el portador lleva consigo.

 

 

 

Cassandra’s words:

My work reveals what is happening to me at the time and place where I stand at the moment … whether that be in my home, a rented Airbnb, or the half-destroyed houses by my hometown that I explore.

Mi trabajo revela lo que me está sucediendo en el momento y los lugares en los que me encuentro en este instante … ya sea en mi casa, un Airbnb alquilado o casas medio destruidas de mi ciudad natal que exploro.

 

Cassandra Adame, Los lugares donde suelo llorar: cama (Places where I used to cry: bed), 2020. Sterling silver, 3½ × 1½ × 1 in. | Photo: Alfredo Díaz Anzures.
Cassandra Adame, Cortado Por la Misma Tijera (Cookie Cutter Collage), 2019. Brass, copper, enamel, steel, 3½ × 4½ × 1½ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist

Cassandra’s selection:

Alberto Dávila uses ancestral materials from Mexican culture such as amber, coral, and pearls but transports them to our contemporary times by incorporating imagery such as emojis and wire fences.

Alberto Dávila usa materiales ancestrales usados dentro de la cultura Mexicana como el ámbar, el coral y las perlas pero llevándolos a nuestros tiempos actuales incorporando imágenes como los emojis y cercas de alambre.

 

Alberto Dávila, Keep breathing 1, 2019. Amber, galvanized steel, aluminum, paracord, 4 x 3 x 2 in. | Photo courtesy of the artist. (@alberto_davila_)

 

Maru López
@marugenia2

Maru López is a jewelry artist, museum educator, and craft scholar from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and she is presently based in San Diego, California. Her practice is a process of exploration and a space of reflection about our connections to objects and the meaning we install in them.

Maru López es una artista de joyería, educadora de museos e investigadora de artesanías. Nacida en San Juan, Puerto Rico, actualmente reside en San Diego, California. Su práctica es un proceso de exploración y un espacio de reflexión sobre nuestras conexiones con los objetos y el significado que instalamos en ellos.

 

 

 

Maru López, Siempre conmigo (Always with Me), 2021. Brass, cheesecloth, sequins, plastic and glass beads, seashells, camandula seeds, coconut shell beads, resin, 13 x 6 in. Photo courtesy of the artist

 

Maru’s words:

Using metals, a layering of varied materials, and written words, I seek to express stories from the sociopolitical situation around me. My work has been a way for me to process and reflect on events going on in Puerto Rico, such as the devastation of Hurricane Maria, an economic crisis due to an unpayable debt, and the colonial relationship between the Island and the United States.

Usando metales, capas de diferentes materiales y palabras escritas, busco expresar historias de la situación sociopolítica que me rodea. Mi trabajo ha sido para mí una forma de procesar y reflexionar sobre los acontecimientos en Puerto Rico, como la devastación del huracán María, la crisis económica debido a una deuda impagable y la relación colonial entre la Isla y los Estados Unidos.

Maru López, Technicolor Dreams, 2021. Brass, steel wire, cardboard, plastic mesh, studio debris, sequins, seashells, pigments, resin, 4 x 5 x ½ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist

 

 

 

Maru López, Objetos de Resistencia (Objects of Resistance), 2019–2020. Brass, acrylic paint, Various dimensions. | Photo courtesy of the artist

 

 

 

Maru López, Pa’ que tu lo sepas (For You to Know), 2019. Brass, blue tarp, acrylic paint, 6 x 3½ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist

 

Maru’s selection:

Catalina Brenes is a Costa Rican jeweler based in Italy. The organic lines and weight of her pieces achieve a balance between natural and synthetic materials that invite the viewer to caress the forms, and to have the pieces caress the viewer back. Her pieces are contemporary while also evoking timelessness.

Catalina Brenes es una joyera costarricense radicada en Italia. Las líneas orgánicas y el peso de sus piezas logran un equilibrio entre materiales naturales y sintéticos que invitan al espectador a acariciar las formas y a que las piezas devuelvan la caricia al espectador. Sus piezas son contemporáneas a la vez que evocan la atemporalidad.

Catalina Brenes, Noi, 2019. Carrara marble, resin with graphite, leather, 60 x 8 x 2 cm. | Photo: Riccardo Rivello. (@catalina_brenes_jewellery)

 

 

 

Sandra Salaices
@sandrasalaicesjewelry

Sandra Salaices is a metalsmith born in Casas Grandes, Mexico, and trained in El Paso, Texas. The symbiotic nature of lichen and the Chihuahuan desert inform her creative and studio practice.

Sandra Salaices es una joyera nacida en Casas Grandes, México, y formada en El Paso, Texas. La naturaleza simbiótica del liquen, y el desierto Chihuahuense informan su práctica creativa.

Sandra Salaices, Cylinders, 2021. Mild steel, vitreous enamel, 46 in. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sandra’s words:

With the concept of interconnectedness, my pieces invite the viewer to contemplate the light and shadow within and to reflect for a moment about the oneness of all beings. I developed a technique to fabricate three-dimensional forms with steel mesh, reinforced by filling the cells with vitreous enamel. Inspired by Paquime architecture, my most recent work explores the use of rammed earth and reclaimed steel.

Con el concepto de interconexión, mis piezas invitan al espectador a contemplar la luz y la sombra internas y a reflexionar por un momento sobre la unidad de todos los seres. Desarrollé una técnica para fabricar formas tridimensionales con malla de acero, reforzada al llenar las celdas con esmalte vítreo. Inspirado en la arquitectura de Paquimé, mi trabajo más reciente explora el uso de tierra apisonada y acero recuperado.

Sandra Salaices, Puerta T, 2022. Rammed earth, stainless steel, 2¾ x 1¾ x ¾ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist
Sandra Salaices, Oneness no. 7, 2018. Mild steel, vitreous enamel, stainless steel, 2¾ x 3½ x 1⅝ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist

 

Sandra’s selection:

I am attracted to Adriana Gómez’s anthropomorphic crocheted shapes and the use of ancient textiles in her work. The process of crocheting seems to play an intuitive role in her work.

Me siento atraída a las formas antropomórficas y tejidas de Adriana Gómez, y su uso de textiles antiguos. El proceso de tejido parece jugar un papel intuitivo en su obra.

Adriana Gómez, Nuestros Otros, 2021. Antique thread, ceramic, sterling silver, 40 x 20 x 5 cm. | Photo: Patricia Bova. (@adriana____gomez)

 

 

 

Alejandra Salinas Pérez

@alejandrasalinasperez

Alejandra Salinas Pérez was born in Burbank, California, and grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. Throughout her life, she has migrated between both countries; she currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. Standing between two cultures, she combines her personal history with a contemporary perspective, translating her experiences into metal objects and jewelry.

Alejandra Salinas Pérez nació en Burbank, California, y creció en Monterrey, México. A lo largo de su vida ha migrado entre ambos países y actualmente reside en San Antonio, Texas. Situada entre dos culturas, combina su historia personal con una perspectiva contemporánea, traduciendo sus experiencias en objetos de metal y joyas.

 

 

Alejandra Salinas Pérez, Trenzaré mi tristeza (I will braid my sadness), 2021. Copper, vitreous enamel, graphite, luster, china paint, sequins, seed beads, embroidery thread, hair extensions, knurled brass screws, 20 x 2½ x ½ in. Photo courtesy of the artist

 

Alejandra Salinas Pérez, La Manda (The Vow), 2019. Copper, silver, cypress yarn, 21 x 6½ x 2½ in. | Photo courtesy of the artist

 

 

Alejandra’s words:

My practice is driven by my culture, current events, and research. Letting the idea drive the hand, I tie the process of the piece to its content, whether that be through acid washing enamel, ghosting graphite, or burying or resurfacing metal. The piece tells its story through how it came to be made.

Mi práctica está impulsada por mi cultura, eventos actuales e investigación. Dejo que la idea dirija la mano, vinculo el proceso de la pieza a su contenido, ya sea a través de lavar con ácido el esmalte vítreo, dejar el graphito a punto de desaparecer, enterrar y resurgir el metal. La pieza cuenta su historia a través de cómo se hizo.

 

 

Alejandra Salinas Pérez, Júrame que no me olvidas, si me olvidas, ellos ganan (Promise me you won’t forget me, if you forget me, they win), 2018. Copper, vitreous enamel, graphite, cotton yarn, 3 x 2 in. (each name badge, 43 total). | Photo courtesy of the artist

 

Alejandra’s selection:

Martacarmela Sotelo’s intuitive and playful shapes create miniature architectural forms for the body. I am drawn to her delicate structures, how she brings the line to life, and her use of vibrant colors.

Las formas intuitivas y divertidas de Martacarmela Sotelo crean formas arquitectónicas en miniatura para el cuerpo. Me atraen sus delicadas estructuras, cómo da vida a la línea y su uso de colores vibrantes.

Martacarmela Sotelo, Container in Colors, 2020. Constructed steel wire, powder coating, 44 x 13 x 6 cm. Photo courtesy of the artist. (@martacarmela)

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