Souls in a precious form

INSPIRATION AND PHILOSOPHY

My entire life, being born and raised in 4 different continents of the world has influenced my creativity with a fusion of many opposites, enabling me to understand that, after all, nothing is ‘different’ and we are all part of the same uniqueness, intended as the notion of being unique but also as the notion of being different.

The philosophy of my creations aspires to this very concept: the fact that we are all part of the same ONE, each of us in our own uniqueness, as we learn in yoga which means to unite (from sanscrit word yug), if we manage to see beyond the duality we all are one, united in our uniqueness.

At the beginning of my creative journey, my work was the artistic expression of my nomadism with ethnic and ancestral symbol being researched and expressed. Nowadays I ‘play around’ with introducing alternative materials, technologies, finish, coating and exploring new ways of working with beauty in unconventional manners.

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Symbols, their meanings and other elements of nature, arts and architecture continue to inspire me so my creations unite tradition and innovation, the past with the future in a contemporary way.

The common denominator will always be to create one-of-a-kind experience, a sculpture to wear but carefully maintaining them ergonomically correct and with high craftsmanship contents.

‘Souls in a precious form’ is this, a reflection the person’s frame of mind wearing it.

All my creations come from an interior experience and each piece has a name, a story, a concept, a research in terms of materials and an emotion that have inspired them.

Such adventure becomes even more unique when I am asked to create them bespoke. Then begins the one to one relation in which I dive in the world and spirit of the person commissioning the jewel…as a revelation of a small part of a of her soul to me.

JEWELS

Belts (10)

Rings (218)

Brooches (4)

Bracelets (37)

Pendants (30)

Earrings (159)

Necklaces (97)

Cufflinks (29)

The universal healing language of

ARTS AND DESIGN

I started with precious, pieces of art jewels with a concept and a soul and as the years went by I always looked for the essence of beauty, freed from the commercial value. The concept and message always came from a personal experience and vision of existence.

I have played around with ebony, oxidized metals, titanium, PVD, springs, enamels, tree bark, bronze and many other alternative materials because art, beauty and design must transcend value and classical paradigm but speak directly to the soul.

As time goes by I increasingly feel the healing force that beauty and spirituality bring to the Soul. This is why I research its expression through objects that can adorn a home or the body just in the same way.

CRISTO SOLE

Transmutation is the main element.

A resurrection beyond earthly sensations.

Only through the coming of Christ was this possible within Man.

The earth was permeated by the power of the spiritual Sun that Christ brought.

Every Man is called to develop Individual Consciousness through the Spirit, through his Soul and with the Faith that God is everywhere on Earth.

Man is the perfect vehicle for this evolution of self-consciousness that unites him to the Universe, to all Spiritual hierarchies up to God the Father.

The adverse conditions, the evidence of this earthly dimension are the school within which these qualities are called to prove themselves and materialize.

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The Face of Christ has no more suffering, the Crown of Thorns has dissolved, the ascent to the Light has already begun, the veil is confused with It, a supernatural light covers it and one perceives the transmutation of matter and non-matter.

The message of the work is to never forget our Home in God the Father and in Christ his son on Earth, our origin and our goal, precisely in these times of profound uncertainty, of constant attacks on the fundamental values of the Human Being and His Spirit.

The yearning is to instill a feeling of recognition of everyone in this evolutionary chimney without giving up.

Our highest self, the one that resides in the Soul, must not give in to the most earthly one constantly under the attack of the forces of annihilation and destruction.

This is the intent and purpose of this creation.

With great humility and deep pride, I created this piece, number 1 for His Holiness Pope Francis on the occasion of the Visit of the Regent Captains on March 20, 2023.

Notes on the Opera:

Cristo Sole is a unique piece made for His Holiness Pope Francis in 925 silver on olive wood, on the occasion of the Visit of the Regent Captains on March 20, 2023.

The production technique was born from an almost twenty-year union between Cristina Rotondaro and Nico Giordano based on artistic work and very advanced techniques.

Together for years they have been experimenting with the elaboration of classic techniques such as lost wax for the realization of jewelry with the ancient mastery of the care of the piece of art, but the sculpture all in constant combined with the evolution of the most advanced techniques of technology to guarantee the best result among these synergies.

santo marino

My relationship with the most ancient republic in the world, also known as the Republic of Freedom and as the State that never having entered into any war, the Republic of San Marino, date back as far as 1977 when I was 10 years old and I moved from Morocco there.
My father was the first Ambassador ever in its history.
Since then I never forgot my 5 years lived there, its people, my friends, my first crush, my best school years and much more.

Today I am so proud to have created a jewelry line and  having identified in the painting of the 19 th century Emilio Retrosi one of the most iconic symbols of the Saint inside his almond shaped luminous Aurea The Saint Marino collection is composed of Pin for suits, bracelets, necklaces and rings all existing in silver and in gold version.

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On the occasion of the State visit of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella to the Republic of San Marino last 6 December 2023, the Ecc.mi Captains Regents chose to give a 6 cm tall, 4cm wide silver sculpture weighing 70 grams that was one of a kind and took several months to be created and finalized.

Executed with fine workmanship and mastery in several stages, it is made in digital sculpture inspired by the picture of the Ritorsi located in the Hall of the Great and General Council where Santo Marino thrones in its highest spiritual dimension and identity symbol of the Republic.
The elements of the image were separated and modeled in bas-relief using different graphic software which was followed by the phase of high-definition wax prototyping with 925 ° / ° ° silver investment casting with chipping and finishing by hand according to traditional methods and with abrasives, brushes and bulins. This technique has conferred high quality of jewelry, the mirror polishing of the base and bas-relief welded in a single piece by laser allow you to preserve the natural shine of silver where it will only be the passage of time that will change the colors and shades of this noble metal.

EXPO MILAN 2015

Was hosted in Milan, Italy and was considered the major world event that occurred there in the last decades.

‘Nourish the Planet, Energy for Life’ is the theme with the pioneering support of the UN and the UNE and the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).

It was the biggest event ever made about food and nutrition.

The participation of the designer Cristina Rotondaro is not something new. She was the only designer to expose at the Biennale of Venice in 2011. Her vision of the world and her nomadic spirit together with her sensitivity gave her the chance to present there the e-KGilibrio necklace. It represents her interpretation of this topic.

The launch was made at the Triennale of Milan, perfect frame for the designer, with the presence of artists, VIPs and journalists.

THE SKIN OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER

A Charity project and a tribute to solidarity.

From her Atelier at the Horto, Jardim Botânico, Cristina Rotondaro has an inspiring view of iconic Christ The Redeemer statue and Sanctuary, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World and a defining image of Rio de Janeiro.

The Skin of Christ The Redeemer is a Charity project/jewel in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, as part of the proceeds will be donated to support social projects of the Christ The Redeemer Sanctuary.

The jewel is inspired by the extraordinary but lesser-known history of the statue that was built entirely with donations from the Brazilian people. During the construction, small paper triangles, with the name of the families/donors, where placed below the outer layers of “soapstone” triangles/tiles (million pieces) that cover up the statue and can be seen by the naked eye only when one sees the statue closely.

The artist pay tribute to solidarity and to the people that silently contribute to a better world.

There are two versions of the jewel, in two sizes. One with the open arms and one with the perspective of Christ the Redeemer’s face taken in three quarter.

womb of life

My first approach to metal sculpture was in 2015 while living in Rio de Janeiro with the ‘Womb of Life’ a description of the different stages of life. It was done with the bullets melted and casted in a foundry in the favela and then oxidized to become green.. it is the story of the  a pregnant belly called the 'Womb of Life' that contains the entire life cycle: a crystal foetus for the pre-birth, a nest with a kite representing childhood, its carefreeness and nurturing quality, a leather book as the symbol of all the school years, a long necklace made of pearls and other colorful beads representing adulthood with happy, sad and wise moments, old age represented by a cane... and then death made of an opaque crystal ball of smoke quartz containing the ashes.

VENICE’S ART BIENNALE

On the occasion of the 54th International Art Exhibition of Venice, "ILLUMInazioni", Cristina Rotondaro was chosen to present her jewelery creations at the "Luce in Azione" exhibition of the Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino, in the section "Fuori Salone, Inside the Biennial".
And it is precisely in the theme of the exhibition that much of the artist's study and inspiration can be found, who sees Light as a moment of inner research but also as an aesthetic message, because light is at the origin of energetic and emotional action of both the artist and the spectator.
"Exhibiting at the Biennale is a great honor for me, because it embodies my desire, through my creations which have always been inspired and developed around conceptual, artistic and philosophical work, to get even closer to art in its most profound sense. deep." - stated Cristina Rotondaro - "Light is the narrative tool par excellence in the creation of a jewel, and this exhibition represents the best contamination and fusion of different styles and forms that I could aspire to."

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This is why the use of a material such as crystal, an emblem of purity and shine, which here becomes a symbolic key to understanding all the creations presented: as in the "Poesia" pendant, in which a message, engraved on the gold, unrolls under the crystal, almost as if it wants to be removed from the egg that encloses it.
The egg is a metaphor for birth, but also for the transformation of what does not appear from the outside; and it is the light that, by manifesting itself, makes not only the message visible and possible, but the transformation itself. In the "Lente Interiore" collection, the purity of mother-of-pearl and the precious brightness of diamonds are enclosed under a crystal, a lens that invites us to observe, amplify what is deep down, hidden, but kept in each of us; the Light. That which man has within himself, in his soul, is a very precious spark which in the most diverse sacred and philosophical texts is testimony to the divine origin and first impulse to action, while in others, almost in contrast, it is "ratio", the mind, which can determine the superiority of man. The "Crystals of Light", a creation different from the others, more angular and multifaceted, whose shapes reflect the complexity that every human being can sometimes externally assume, appearing sharp, with faces that reverberate discordant colors depending on the light that illuminates them. The golden threads as a metaphor for the bonds, which, however precious, cage, but also which hold together what would only be a fragment scattered throughout the universe without harmony or direction.
Finally, the "Mantra Amor Vincit Omnia" ring, with a rounded crystal cylinder, which rotates around this maxim and in doing so becomes a Mantra like the Tibetan votive wheels, a wish, a choral prayer engraved on gold and projected towards the world: may Love, with its intrinsic Light, win over the blind darkness of the ego of individuality.

THE ARTIST

Biography

Cristina Rotondaro, born in Kenya and daughter of an Italian Ambassador, grew between Kenya, Morocco, San Marino, the Philippines and Brazil.

She completed the degree in Business Administration and furthered her education with a Master in International Affairs at Master at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Her work experience began in the Marketing of the fashion company producing avant-guard brands of the early 90’s such as Fendissime, Marithe Francois Girbaud and Katherine Hamnet and soon after she moved at Saatchi & Saatchi advertising. After her Master she entered Bvlgari, where she stayed six years. This was a fundamental experience in the world of gems and Cristina felt passionate about the jewelry industry, getting familiar with both gemology and jewels production process.

In the year 2000 she started her own career as a designer, creating and launching her own brand: EKA ‘One’ in Sanskrit which she then dropped to just use her full name.

Her first jewelry collection took form from contemporary ethnic research gathered through her numerous journeys across the world. Her creative path then evolved towards different interpretations of subject matters, ranging from the the four Elements, dream worlds, architectural structures, art music, fashion, psychology, Buddhist, Hindu and yoga sacred tests.

A regular yoga practitioner – with an Iyengar Yoga Teacher Diploma achieved at Paris Centre, under the guidance of Sri Faeq Biria – she often takes this discipline as a point of reference for many of her inspirations both from the use of symbols and for its millennial philosophy.

In 2003 Cristina started selling at Barneys New York and at other Barneys stores all across the United States of America.

Between 2003 and 2012 the creations of the designer, appreciated among others by the Queen of Jordan, are distributed also by Harvey Nichols in London, by Holt Renfrew in Vancouver and by exclusive retailers in Capri and Milan. Her flagship store in Rome, Rampa Mignanelli is mentioned as a “jewelry of the city“ for two years in the city Guide Louis Vuitton.

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In 2011, Cristina exposed as unique jewelry designer at the 54th Biennale of Venice Arts.

In 2015 she launched the collection “One of a Kind”, created in her own Atelier do Horto, at the Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro.

In the same year she presented at the “Triennale” of Milan an iconic piece for the EXPO 2015 in Milan, called “e-KGilibrio”. This same art piece was presented in Rio in an event organized together with Harper’s Bazaar Art Magazine.

In 2016 she has the honor and exclusive permission from the Rio de Janeiro Archidiocese to create the jewel “The skin of Christ the Redeemer”, her line completely dedicated to social causes.

Increasingly interested in using unusual materials such as oxidized bronze, Brazilian and African wood, enamels, glass and silk threads, her creation moves more and more towards arts and finest craftsmanship, seeking preciousness and uniqueness.

The latest ‘Trasparenze’ collection continues to explore materials, symbols and multicolored lights of stones and transparent glazes.

In 2022 Cristina moved to Los Angeles and she deepened her work with sculpture as a way to express her understanding of Anthroposophical concepts, symbols and messages. Since the 90's she had studied the 'Science of the Spirit' founded by Rudolph Steiner and grew increasingly involved also with the Waldorf Pedagogy that stems from it and has actively worked for it. The Sun-Christ was created in early 2023, as a gift to his Holiness the Pope Francis on behalf of the Heads of States of the Republic of San Marino.

Cristina's first approach to metal sculpture was in 2015 while living in Rio de Janeiro with the 'Womb of Life' a description of the different stages of life. It was done with the bullets melted and casted in a foundry in the favela.