“Beauty in the abandoned, overlooked, and broken. Magical moments and occurrences which can’t easily be described in words. Undercurrents. Going places unknown. Physical expressions of philosophical concepts. Art, music, food, and the people who love me for who I am.” - these are some of the messages which Gina Melosi’s jewellery work holds.
She studied an MA in jewellery design at London Metropolitan University in 2009. It was there that she first started to explore various body modification practices - a body of research which ultimately gave birth to her first collection in recycled silver and fair-trade sapphires.
Where are you originally from and where are you based?
It’s sort of hard to give a succinct answer that feels comprehensive.
I was born in a small town in Texas and then moved to Houston (the forth largest city in the U.S.A.) when I was about eight years old. I lived there until the end of high school, then I moved to Bloomington, Indiana for university to study Fine Art, Photography, Piano, and Italian. At some point along the way I ended up in London for a study abroad year, a year that would drastically alter the course of my life. I moved back to Indiana and Texas for a bit, then made my way back to London for another stint. This lead me to traveling in Central America and moving to San Francisco, CA. After a couple years I found my way back to London for a third time. This time I stayed almost 15 years! I eventually peeled myself away and inadvertently became a world nomad for a year before I fell into Berlin on NYE 2017. I’ve stayed here ever since.
So I guess I’m a kind of mutt?
Most influential person in your life?
There’s no penultimate choice. But my grandparents were somewhat pivotal in pointing me towards a jewellery path. My grandfather taught me how to cross stitch, and I thought the most exciting thing ever growing up was looking through his office-turned-craft room at all the organised coloured glass beads and sequins. I actually did not inherit his organisational skills, however. My grandma from the other side lived in an old mining town, and I was quite enchanted with all the copper delicacies and shimmery fools gold as well as all the costume jewellery of hers that I could play with.
Likes/dislikes?
Likes: long, hot summer days / exploring / TRAVELLING / daydreaming / dancing / creating / cuddling / cooking & eating the rewards / thinking …
Dislikes: German bureacracy / waking up / nationalism / bad vibes / expectations / ghosting / homophobia / transphobia / toxic masculinity …
Favourite cities? Why?
Everywhere I’ve not been yet
Tried and true methods against creative block?
Many tried, not always true, but… it does often help to take a step back/away and revisit with a fresh breath/eye - although to be fair, this is a little trickier when ur up against a hard deadline! When I’ve got the time, then there’s nothing like a little (or big) trip.
What are your life essentials/what do you carry with you all the time?
I wish I didn’t include my phone, but unfortunately I most often have it with me. That’s sort of sad. Lip gloss/chapstick/lipstick. My keys. Almost always my black RAINS backpack. My calendar/diary.
Tell us about your brand?
Gina Melosi is a genderless jewellery brand whose ethos since its inception is to marry ethical and sustainable production and materials with conceptual design.
What are some inspirational things, designs, artists, music, sites that you find yourself re-visiting often?
Nina Simone, Rineke Dijkstra, Yoga, Sociology, Metaphysics, documentaries, raving, and I could go on and on.
How do you feel about the need to be present in social media? Does it ruin creativity?
Honestly it’s a little boring. When I started my brand, Instagram had only just been born. There’s always (often?) a silver lining in everything, but I feel like so much more time is spent these days on the marketing that less time is available (for me) for the making and the creative outlet that originally got me here in the first place. I guess the best advice is to not let it ruin you and monitor your time.
“CREATING WITH MY HANDS HELPS TO CONNECT ALL THE ZILLIONS OF THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD TO SOMETHING TANGIBLE.”
How can creativity be nurtured, what is the source of your creativity?
Somehow all of the difficult and challenging aspects of my life, that need exploring and, in turn, nurturing. Creating with my hands helps to connect all the zillions of thoughts in my head to something tangible. Some permutation or way to work that stuff out a little bit.
Tell us about this work for the curated.by exhibition
These pieces are all cast from rough stones of pyrite and quartz that I collected from the mining town where my grandmother lived her whole life (Butte, MT). I gave them a new life in alchemised metal. The inspiration is the duality of Arnould Ele and Laura Knoops’ analogue/digital work. I’m fascinated by contrasts in the illusion of texture, colour, intent, execution, media, style… I read this in Ele x Knoops’ work and I translated it to contrasts in finish: a balance between highly polished and rough & raw. I like to highlight the ‘imperfections’. That’s where the beauty lies.
SHOP THE EXHIBITION COLLECTION
DATE OF PRODUCTION? 2020
SHOP THE EXHIBITION COLLECTION