Lagunario: the aluminium jewelry collection dedicated to the Venice lagoon and its sea creatures

Nature is one of the most important sources of inspiration for my work, with its organic shapes and its natural rhythm, and water is the element with the greatest influence on me.

Perhaps it is because I have grown up in a city like Venice, where everything is dictated by the water, or perhaps because in this element I recognize my own values, or maybe because I am of the sign of Pisces, I am not sure... what I know is that the slow movement of the waves and their soft sounds have always attracted me. In addition to this, I have always had a passion for marine creatures and have always enjoyed watching documentaries about the sea world.

So one day the aluminium jewelry collection dedicated to the lagoon, my Lagunario, came to be. As with most of my jewelry, I hadn't planned it, it was not something calculated. There was no preparatory drawing or sketch, just an inspiration and the moving of my hands orchestrated by my imagination. When I create, by playing with the materials and shaping them, I see things and follow a flow. Starting from a flat shape, I create volume. 

Let's not forget that I work with aluminium rings and stretchy steel threads, so hard round shapes and soft round shapes, which oblige me to respect geometry. Fish have a beautiful geometry and so I tried to find combinations that would enable me to recreate animal forms. For example, my prawn tail is a triangle bended on itself. The shapes of fish allow me to create body, volume and tridimensionality and thus are ideal for the type of jewel I have in mind.

Besides, I recognize my own values in water. First of all, I think that this is the element where all the magic of Venice lies, more than its architectures and 'static' exterior, it is this living element that decides everything. Just like life, it is ever changing, never still, and it forces us to adapt and respect nature. High and low tide dictate the rules, boats and sailors cannot just do what they want, they need to respect nature and its pace. 

Water is clear, transparent, you can see through it. Its dimension makes everything volatile, subverting weighs and measures. In the water we feel light, we can float, something so incredible, it's almost like flying- We can fluctuate and feel free. The tactile sensation is also incredible, in short... being in the water is a fully immersive experience.

I also have to say that fish is just as fascinating. I am enchanted by their scales, with their light reflections and their architecture. Scales remind me of dresses made of paillettes, they are like soft, elegant armors. How could I not try to recreate this magic?

I don't remember which was the first jewel of the collection that came to life, but little by little it has implemented. We have one of my most known necklaces that is a made up of different rings that are sea urchins, then we have the mantis shrimp bracelet, the prawn tail or the baby octopus brooches, the mackerel, then a necklace I called Acquarium because it has 12 fish... and more and more to come!

This all proves how much the natural environment surrounding me is engrained in my head and how much I need to create shapes and jewelry that mirror my values and in which I recognize myself. I want my jewels to feel like a second skin, that those wearing them feel comfortable in them... exactly like we feel when we are in the water. 

I am very fond of this collection, it's playful and joyful and it was an unexpected way for me to dedicate my work to Venice, a city that I love and hate at the same time, because it stands above and seems to come before everything else. With this collection I was able to focus on the side of the city I love the most and dedicate part of my work to my native land (or should I say marshland?) in an understated way. 

You are welcome to come to my studio to discover the Lagunario and, of course, all of my other jewelry collections and touch and feel them in person! Just contact me via email at info@andreinabrengola.com to book an appointment.