Turning Ceramics into Wearable Art Installations with Raluca Buzura

Can jewelry have the same magnitude of expression as more traditional visual arts media? Romanian designer Raluca Buzura thinks so. By pushing the limits of personal adornment to communicate something deeper about the human condition, Raluca promotes a broader understanding about the role of jewelry in the progressive art movement.

Her evocative works of wearable art are not only beautifully handcrafted, they’re a representation of cultural and societal attitudes of our time. Raluca’s unique body of work is the result of many years of inquiry, experimentation, passion, and dedication. This process led her to combine classical craftsmanship with sophisticated symbolism. Through her choice of materials, patterns, colors, and forms, Raluca is able to express complex realizations of femininity, climate change, and materialism while staying at the cutting edge of fashion design.

I first met Raluca when we shared a studio space in Poblenou, and I was blown away by her creative vision and meticulous craftsmanship. Now joining FrikiFIsh from Tortosa, Raluca breaks down her creative process, from the kindling of an idea to the firing of a kiln.

How do you translate your personal experiences into new designs and collections?

My creations come from an inner world whose sole purpose is to convey a message about what is affecting me the most. My subjects emphasize the principles that guide me, such as time, nature, activism, and femininity. It always starts with an experience that has a great impact on me and, if the effect of it persists, I decide to release all this energy and my considerations about it into an object or collection. When everything clarifies, a long process begins.

Can you give us some examples of the principles that you have used in your work?

• Time: the series, 14.612 Minutes, represents the amount of time I spent in the studio working on the collection. When reduced to an abstract thought, what I offer the public is my time that is received in a material form. And what is the most precious thing we can give, if not our time?
• Love: the collection Tell Me Where it Hurts/Hearts the Most depicts parts of the body that are filled with emotion—from joy to pain—and part of the most intense human interaction.
• Society: my piece, Gold Rush, is a metaphor for a society that is trying to achieve material fortunes in their limited lives, like a herd of mice hypnotized by its ‘golden’ leader.
• Nature: The collection, Where the Almond Trees and Windmills Are, is an epic for the redefinition of the self through nature.
• Activism: The collection, Extinct species, is a new way to engage people in thinking and taking action on critical issues of climate change and extinction due to human intervention.
• Femininity: The collection, She, is a journey into the beautiful and sensual side of the female body.

Can you describe your creation process?

The ceramic technological process is a complex one and involves a preparation of manufacturing with a large volume of work: from modelling the original, to the realization of the negatives in which the porcelain is poured to later obtain the parts, the polishing and glazing of the pieces, the firing at a high temperature (1240°C), application of gold, and second firing (800°C), and lastly assembly. It is a process that can take up to one month until one piece is finished – lots of waiting time – so patience has to be my closest friend.

How does your work challenge the traditional understanding of jewelry?

Firstly, through my aesthetics and secondly, my production methods.

Coming from the ceramic installation field with a strong passion for fashion design, my artistic approach retained a distinctly theatrical quality. I experienced a long journey of research and experimentation before I was able to define my own style. This process involved self-analysis acquired with time and patience—to the point where my creations identified with what I thought, felt, and lived. My three passions (installation art, ceramics, and fashion design) merged into what I like to call wearable art installations.

There are many types of jewelry and techniques to produce them. We live in a time of technological innovation, where increased productivity and profit are pursued over human factors. The market is flooded with an infinity of products produced in series, where the only value is in the promoted material or price tag. The true values of creativity, identity, emotion and uniqueness are unknown to the general public. These are the values that define mxxy creations.

You can learn more about Raluca Buzura and her stunning creations on Instagram: @ralucabuzura and her website: ralucabuzura.blogspot.com

By Amelia Johannsen