The Bite Magazine - issue 16

Gonçalves is nothing if not a student at heart, and her extensive conceptual research in jewellery making is clearly seen in her work by the way she, “skill- fully combines geometric lines and organic elements with a special care for traditional handcrafted techniques, exploring simple and usable shapes, which the user can often recreate, reinterpret and customise.” By creat- ing functional pieces, her items focus on involving and unifying the wearer with the piece directly, emphasising the relational concept that establishes the boundaries between the inhabited body and the jewel itself. She again told fusca- concept.wordpress.com that she draws inspiration from a variety of things, “At first glance I can say that there is no direct influence of something concrete. They are always lines that intersect in the constant research that I do, and these lines are my origin and my structure as part of a society marked by its culture and history. I always start to build my jewels, thinking about the end.” Mostly she admits that much of her motivation comes from not only her natural surroundings and their elements, but also from the insignificant, the null and the immaterial like a texture, a movement or simply an idea. From this beginning concept to the final execution, one can see Gonçalves’ passion for her handmade work, each therefore dis- playing its own unique details and her personal signature. The final products produced by this labour of love are therefore organic and geometric, and totally one-of-a-kind. Her ‘Planets’ series explores these innovative ideas of shape and movement, using three-dimensional forms, textures and movable structures as a conceptual base. The ‘Planets’ series include the following mini collections: Moon, Craters, Land, Celestial Bodies and the Untitled Capsule Collection, that is exquisitely created out of rigid guitar strings. Each series includes pendants, bracelets, earrings, rings and pins and features some pieces adorned with small cubic zirconias, volcanic stones, and other natural materials. Per- sonally, I love her long pendant necklaces and pins, which to me resemble vintage screenshots of astrological mapping points or constellations. However, one of the best aspects of Gonçalves’ label has to be its affordable price tag with pieces starting at just £20 and going up to £300 and everything is available online! With so much already happening for this designer, it’s hard to believe she could possibly take on anything else, but this talented lady isn’t about to limit herself to just jewellery. In the very near future she hopes to open her first storefront in Viana, where she plans to launch her new clothing line in addition to showcasing her jewellery collections to the public! Hopefully all this good news will only further promote her already popular pieces to new levels of success.Tikeswar Bariha once said,“In the universe nothing is permanent even the sun, moon, planets, galaxies all. Every creations have a destruction, this is true,” but let’s hope that Lia Gonçalves’ brand will be around for many years time to come. joalhariadeautor.com bite jewellery