Marta Sanchez is a jewel maker who creates pieces so unique and beautiful that they could easily belong to a museum. Instead, you can find her at her Masaoms shop as well as wandering around in the fantastic (and funtastic) streets of her beloved Barcelona.
::Why and when did you started Masaoms? I’ve always been making things with my hands. When I was a child I spent a lot of hours drawing and painting. I grew up spending a lot of time after school in my father’s wood shop, making wood toys and furniture, which would help me get my hands accustomed to working and controlling machines. At 18, after 2 years at Artistic School, I decided to study jewellery at Escola Massana from Barcelona. There I learned about metals, forging, micro fusion, gemstones, galleries and everything related to a jeweler. Since then I had been working as a shop assistant in some jewellery shops and two years ago I decided to become my own boss. At present, I work full time in my own studio, where I design and make all my jewels.
:: Where do you get your inspiration from? Part of my collections are inspired by Egypt or ancient cultures. I use books and the Internet to find information about interesting topics, I study them and draw ideas and new interpretations. I always carry with me a sketchbook where I write ideas, snippets of books, sketches, or I simply draw shapes that I like. Sometimes a collection emerges from a trip, other times from a story I have read or even from a dream I have had, but most times I feel that there is someone who provides the inspiration and guides me. My last collections are Ofelia, Cleopatra and Zen. Ofelia is about flowers. A few years ago I saw “Hamlet” and was awe stuck in front of the image of the beautiful Ofelia dying from drowning Cleopatra talks about this Faraon strength and sensuality, a woman who suffered but also loved with all her heart. Jewels show the contrast between thick and textured metal with pink tourmaline, a precious stone with beautiful color and also fragile. Zen is harmony. Stones, plants and the balance between all elements make a Zen garden one of the best places to relax and meditate.
:: Who is your ideal buyer? I really enjoy making Custom pieces and variations of my collections. People ask me to find special gemstones and I transform them into jewels. The most important thing when I make a jewel is to think that the person who’ss going to wear it will do so happily.
:: What is your favorite place in Barcelona? It’s dificult to choose only one place in this lovely city, some of my favourite are Plaça Sant Felip Neri, Plaça del Rei, Plaça del Pi, Carrer Petritxol, Plaça del Diamant, … I really enjoy staying there, relax and look at all the the people walking down the streets. Also, I enjoy walking through Passeig Marítim near the sea. I usually go eat in a beautiful Restaurant at Plaça Villa de Madrid, they have great food and a lovely terrace.
:: What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Barcelona? The sun and the sea. I grew up in a small town near mountains and we usually had cold winters without sun and a lot of fog. Now, in Barcelona, I really enjoy waking up in the morning, open my window and see the sun shining all year long. It makes me feel happy!
:: Where do you shop in Barcelona?I use to go shopping in the Gothic and Gracia neighbors, there you can find a lot of cute shops from young designers and some great workshops. I also like shopping at Centre, near to Plaça Catalunya, walk through Portal de l’Àngel, Portaferrissa, Carrer del Pi, Carrer Santa Anna, …there are great shops in these streets but always a lot of people.
:: What is Barcelona to young creative people living in Spain? I think Barcelona is one of the most important places in Spain for design. There are a lot of studios, schools, workshops and museums. People from all the world come to Barcelona to learn and work as designers.
:: If I say Italy, you say…? Rome… I had been there 3 years ago and I really enjoyed the city, the people, the buildings. And the food is amazing too. As a mediterranian country, Italy have some things in common with Spain but it also has really great peculiarities that makes it a lovely place to visit.
muy interesante ,lindos disegnos