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I was born in New York to Cuban parents. I studied drawing, painting and sculpture at the Art Student's League, but soon realized what really interested me was working with metals. The Fashion Institute of Technology was an excellent school where I learned the essentials of jewelry design and silversmithing. The forging, the firing, the melting of alloys - it all seemed so tough! I especially liked Mechanical Drafting. It made my ideas concrete and attainable. I travelled quite a bit through Europe until finally settling in Brussels where I stayed for 4 years. There I studied at L'Academie des Arts et Metiers. My teacher, Thierry Bontridder, was a jewelry designer who had since moved towards large sculpture projects and public works. The focus of the class was to stretch the boundaries of traditional techniques of jewelry design. He was extremely supportive and encouraged me to trust in the integrity of my work. I've been back in NY since the summer of 2005. I have a small workshop where I design and fabricate all the pieces myself. |