Maike Valcarcel was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, but moved to South Africa in 1993, which I figure is enough time to make her my favourite South African jewellery designer! She was born into a family of artists, so has been surrounded by creativity all her life. She studied Jewellery Design and Manufacture at The School of Design at Pforzheim University as well as in Heidelberg. The Pforzheim School of Design has been voted among one of the sixty best academic institutions in the field of design worldwide, alongside Harvard, Stanford and MIT. In 1993 she moved to Johannesburg and then later relocated to Cape Town where she has a studio and workshop in Woodstock. She supplies galleries in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Germany. In 2001 Maike won the Riches of Africa completion in the professional category - no small feat. 2004 saw her become a finalist in the same competition once again. She is 41 years old.
Maike’s design philosophy is one which I share. She understands, as do I, that jewellery is for the individual, it is a personal choice and each person is unique. In this way she creates bespoke and personalised jewellery. She says, “My aim is to make jewellery that underlines your personality and enhances your individuality”. She has travelled extensively and has drawn her inspiration from around the world. However she is really in love with the African continent as it is this continent that intrigues her the most. Her jewellery is not typically African, but it has an undercurrent of Africa which I like. Maike likes to experiment with old techniques to create new and unexpected pieces. Looking at the pieces that she has created one can see that she is an excellent craftsman - or craftswoman rather! She has incorporated African shapes into her jewellery and maintained perfection in her technique.
She has an open minded and clever attitude and is able to design jewellery both for the catwalk and for everyday wearing. It is evident from her portfolio that she is constantly seeking new ideas and incorporating new techniques in her jewellery. She mixes things up very successfully, particularly with her use of different metals. She has a great understanding of how to combine shapes, metals and stones. The stones that she uses are often unusual and unique, which lends itself perfectly to making unusual and unique one-off pieces. Maike has some serious pieces but she also brings playful and clever ideas to her design table, such as these rings, where she has set pebbles and then added the playful figurines. She says that she has fun making her jewellery and this definitely comes across in her work.
I also particularly like this ring which she calls, “Homage to Cape Town”, made using green calcite and silver.
Her style ranges from pure and simple to elegant and clever, with the underlying theme of African shapes and patterns. Below are some examples of jewellery that she has created where she has combined the metals so well.
As I have stated previously she has been influenced by her travels, particularly her travels in Africa, where she has been inspired by ancient and ethnic jewellery. She is inspired by ancient techniques and with finding her own way to implement them. She has tried a number of techniques such as Kum Boo (a traditional Korean technique), granulation, chasing and repoussage. She says, “I like to combine the old and the new, the precious and the ordinary, diamonds with pebbles, gold with glass and silver with felt. The fusion of silver and fine gold and the way of mixing colours in an unexpected fashion make my jewellery lively and unique.” I think that she is also influenced by the individuality of people. This is why she chooses to make only one-off unique pieces that have their own personalities.
I feel Maike has contributed to the Cape Town and Johannesburg design space in a big way. She is well known for her work in both cities and often has exhibitions. There is currently an exhibition at Objekt in Johannesburg which is running until 28th May 2011. She is also well known in the German market place, where she recently exhibited alongside Margot Maemecke, her former master jeweller and teacher in Heidelberg. As I mentioned previously she also won the overall prize for the Riches of Africa (Anglogold) competition in 2001. She created two necklaces and one square ring. Maike’s inspiration for these designs came from the batik fabrics of the Yoruba people of West Africa. Below is her necklace which won the competition.
In 2004 she was a finalist in the same competition with this neckpiece:
Maike has a great website which she uses to market herself. It is easy to use, well laid out and well designed. It also has current information on it such as where her current exhibition is being held, as well as a list of her current stockists. Her work is showcased by Veronica Anderson Jewellery in Rosebank, one of the leading stockists for contemporary jewellery in South Africa, as well as a host of other places In Johannesburg and Cape Town. Her jewellery can be bought at these outlets in Johannesburg: Reads Gallery in Rosebank, Object in Parktown, Lali Silverjewellery in Parkview and Tinsel in Melville. In Cape Town, apart from at her own studio in Woodstock, her jewellery is also available at Bali Bali in Hout Bay. She also stocks the Schmuckwelten Galerie fuhr Kunst und Design in Pforzheim, Germany. Maike also recently exhibited at the Design Indaba in Cape Town. It is evident that she is very good at marketing herself and at getting her work out into the marketplace. Her long list of outlets are all reputable and well known stores that sell contemporary jewellery and they show that she has aligned herself well within the market. A search for her on the internet takes you straight to her website, unlike so many other jewellery designers in South Africa that have no web space whatsoever! She is also listed on various South African design websites such as capetowncreatives.co.za, finddesign.co.za and designindaba.com.
There are many things I like about Maike Valcarcel’s jewellery. I like that she has used her inspiration to create unique pieces of jewellery and that her designs are not too literal. I like the fact that her jewellery technique is excellent, the workmanship is exemplary. Her designs are light hearted and appeal to many people. Her pieces can be funky and fun as well as beautiful and elegant. She uses strong lines in her designs and by doing so creates pieces of jewellery which are simple but well thought out. By using different metals together she creates beautiful jewellery. She is experimental, using many different techniques and finishes. I am impressed by the fact that her jewellery is all made up of one-off pieces and that she designs for the individual. All of these things go hand in hand with where I see myself in the future. Not as a mass producer of commercial jewellery but as an artist, constantly creating new and unique pieces. I have also travelled extensively and am influenced by what is going on in the world, as is she. I find that I am drawn to simple but beautiful strong lines, such as the lines that are evident in her work. I like the fact that Maike has fun when she works, something which I definitely aim to do! She is a good business woman, and I know that I have the same strength and will also aim to market my work well and align myself within the South African and International market. I am not normally easily inspired by jewellery designers and it took me some time to find one designer where I actually like every piece that they have created. Maike Valcarcel inspires me to use my creativity to make original, one-off, beautiful, funky and technically excellent jewellery.
References
- http://www.hs-pforzheim.de/en-us/School-of-Design/Seiten/Bereich.aspx
- http://maike.valcarcel.ne http://www.anglogold.co.za/Additional/Press/AngloGold/2001/8+May+2001+235.htm
- capetowncreatives.co.za/blog/tag/maike-valcarcel/
- http://www.find-design.co.za/directory/fashion/maike-valcarcel/write-review.html
