Berta Sumpsi

Jewellery maker

Minimalistic jewellery

Berta's jewellery pieces reflect geometric shapes
She set up her atelier and shop in Barcelona in 2015
She creates custom made pieces for her clients

Jewellery for Berta Sumpsi is a constant dialogue between the maker, the wearer, and the observer. She creates rings, bracelets, and brooches, among other minimalistic pieces of jewellery that move away from the more conventional and commercial jewellery. Through her creations, she explores geometric forms and a pure language, always considering the connection between craftsmanship, contemporary thinking, and design. She defines her creative process as a journey towards synthesis. Her work has been exhibited in different museums and galleries in Spain and around the world. In 2015 she opened her studio and shop in Gràcia, a trendy district of Barcelona. Everyday life in her surroundings, architecture, art, and graphic design are her major sources of inspiration.

Where

Interview

How is your craft linked to your home region?: Barcelona has a century-old tradition in jewellery making. Today, I feel connected to my city and neighbourhood, because I have a shop at “street-level” and I make more and more personalised orders that involve a lot of communication with people.
What do you consider to be your key skills?: I like to think about the piece before making it, asking myself questions and looking for solutions on an aesthetic and a technical level. For this reason, I would say that I am more skilful in design than in other aspects. However, the symbiosis between design and craftsmanship is vital.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: I express both by unashamedly mixing traditional methods with more contemporary ones. I believe that today there is great freedom in this sense, and this has made the craft evolve. Craftsmanship has many layers of tradition and much wisdom that we must know.
Do you see your craft as endangered?: No. Human beings have worn jewellery since they lived in caves. This need will remain alive. Some specific techniques may be endangered because we do not use them in current designs, or we replace them by digital processes. The traditional ones are part of our cultural heritage, and we must do everything to preserve them.

Berta Sumpsi is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2009