Liliana Guerreiro

Jewellery maker

©Luis Calau

©Liliana Guerreiro

Paving the future for Portuguese filigree

Liliana creates contemporary jewellery with strong Portuguese roots
She reinterprets traditional filigree from Northern Portugal to keep it alive
Her jewellery collections are intricate with precious details

Liliana Guerreiro studied art and jewellery making in Porto, with a clear vision of one day making her own jewellery and integrating Portuguese filigree techniques into her work. Her approach has always been collaborative. “As a designer I work hand in hand with filigree artisans as I really think we cannot work in isolation; we are stronger together,” she explains. Liliana likes to celebrate the artisans’ skills. Her pieces have been exhibited in prestigious places such as the MoMa and Museum of Arts and Design in New York and she has also won best jewellery prizes in fairs such as Inhorgenta Munich. An ambassador for Portuguese jewellery, Liliana continuously researches local traditions and techniques, keeping them alive through modern interpretations that capture the hearts of handmade jewellery aficionados.

Interview

©Luis Calau

©Luis Calau

Did you acquire your jewellery skills from a master?: I studied art and jewellery at the ESAD design school and followed more practical jewellery courses in known schools in the north of Portugal. I experiment a lot on my own but for filigree techniques, goldsmith brothers Guilherme and Joaquim Rodrigues are my masters.
Why is keeping filigree alive so important to you?: I was surrounded by filigree as a child, living in an area where festivities, costumes and gold are important. I loved seeing the filigree artisans coil the thinnest gold cords together. I feel I have a duty to keep this art form alive.
Could you share an important moment of your career?: I have been fortunate to exhibit internationally in prestigious spaces, but one of the most important and heartwarming moments was when I received the first prize in Portugal at the Filigree International contest, together with masters Guilherme and Joaquim Rodrigues.
Is the type of jewellery you create in danger of disappearing?: Handmade filigree is threatened by less refined industrial versions. We can keep the technique alive through modern design and processes. We need to evolve.

Liliana Guerreiro is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1998