Eclectic jewellery
- Simona creates her pieces from recycled metals
- She opened her studio, Bizar Concept, in 2019
- In her work, she combines traditional and modern techniques
Having fallen in love with the craft a few years ago, Simona Gîrbou turned her passion for jewellery making into a business shortly after graduating from a contemporary jewellery course in 2017. The positive feedback she received from customers at jewellery fairs encouraged her to open her own workshop two years later, a place where those interested in her work and trainees are always welcome. She is a certified gemologist and loves the traditional techniques of granulation, fusion, filigree, and enamelling. In addition to the courses that she has attended over the years, Simona also learned from the masters she met during her travels to Thailand and Indonesia, where she had the chance to create traditional handcrafted jewellery using forging, stamping and welding techniques.
Interview
- Why did you choose this craft?
- The metal in both its liquid and solid form fascinates me, from the way it transforms and the multiple shapes it can reach to the variety of techniques you can use to process it. I started in 2017, when I timidly began to participate in several fairs.
- What is less known about your work?
- How long the process of making a piece of jewellery is and that it starts long before working with the metal. It begins with an idea and continues with the sketches, then with the prototype we wear and test to see how ergonomic it is.
- Could your craft be considered in danger?
- I think that modern society is moving more towards technology and less towards arts, which is why I consider any type of artistic path as endangered. There are limited places where you can learn this craft in Romania.
- What is the most difficult aspect of your craft?
- The procurement of the necessary tools and materials, as we only work with high quality, recycled, ethically sourced and environmentally friendly materials. There is also the fact that only a small audience understands the difference between a handcrafted object and a factory produced one.
Simona Girbou is a rising star: she began her career in 2016 and she started teaching in 2021
Works
Where
Simona Girbou
