There is something so incredible about walking into the beautiful jewellery boutique La Gioja, by artisan Susanna Martini. Located in Modena’s historic centre along the narrow cobblestone road, Via Cesare Battisti, you will find it 5 minutes away from Modena’s UNESCO World Heritage sites; the Duomo, the Piazza and the Ghirlandina Tower.
Susanna Martini at work in her bottega LA GIOJA in Modena, Italy.
When I first met Susanna, her business and life partner Corrado and their adorable dog Ciro, I knew there was something incredible about them. They opened their store just over a year ago and their ever-growing success is notable. In fact, at Christmas they had a beautiful party to celebrate their anniversary, and if you get a chance to visit in December the atmosphere is wonderful.
Susanna creates one of a kind jewellery pieces in Murano glass and I am so happy to share her story and a bit about her art today with this article, part of HAND MADE – The Artisan Series on Reasons to Dress.
A Moment of Life
If you ask Susanna where she gets inspiration for her breathtaking work she’ll say that every piece is an expression of life. She filters her emotions when she gets “behind the flame” and each good and bad day is reflected in a piece of jewellery.
Personally, I would have never guessed that you could do so much with glass jewellery, however, a few moments in La Gioja proves me wrong. Everyday there are new pieces created, each one different from the next in its form, color and expression. She divides her work into collections based on their inspiration, such as a season, a phrase or an emotion.
Corrado and Susanna describe a beautiful spring day when they took their bikes into the countryside and the fields were filled with little purple flowers. As soon as she got home she sat at her workspace behind the flame and interpreted pale purples and lilacs into a new jewellery collection.
“Stare al fuoco. Tutto nasce quando mi siedo lì”
“Everything is born in the moment when I sit behind the flame.”
The “Summer” necklace.
The Art of Murano Glass Jewellery – Expression is not Tradition
You may not realize how avant guard Susanna is in her art until you do a bit of investigating into this ancient art form. There is a very traditional schematic way in Murano, Italy (home of Murano glass) for working this precious material into jewelry. A precision that almost removes all emotion. Every bead produced should be “perfect” and identical to the next, and any variation of this is seen as an opposition to the canon of this art.
And then, along comes revolutionary Susanna, who, after her formal “classical” training, deviated from the canonical way of creating Murano glass jewellery to create her own expressive art.
In her own words she describes it like this:
“If I follow the traditional schematic way of working nothing new can be born.”
Corrado and Susanna are a team, and it is easy to see the connection between their solid relationship and her daring art form. He pushes her to explore and extend her limits, and supports her when she’s done something completely outside of the norm, thus giving her a sense of freedom to explore without fear.
Susanna Martini – Expression through Glass
The day Susanna knew she wanted to work Murano Glass into jewellery her life changed. At the time, she was working as an interior and special events designer in Trieste while beginning to dabble in the creation of custom bijoux. Working with jewelry came so easy to her, but she was frustrated by the lack of control she had, limited by the beads and materials that were commercially available.
On a Friday morning she had the revelation that with Murano glass she could create her own beads and forms in any colour imaginable. Three days later, she was taking a master class in Murano (Venice, Italy) and has since completed training with some of the World’s most renowned instructors in the classical field.
“Finally, I could create and see what I was imagining. I believe that jewellery can represent anything, even a dream.
Now, I am able to interpret my sensations and those of my clients. Once, I created a pair of glass cufflinks for a mother who wanted to give something inspirational to her son for his graduation. Inspired by a book, each cufflink had a seagull flying. In one cufflink he was nosediving down which represented the risks the mother wanted her son to take. In the other he was shooting up to the sky to inspire him to always go after his goals.
Many times I’ve had clients tear up, unable to believe that I was able to interpret their feelings”
Precious but not Delicate
One of the things that struck me the most was Corrado’s description of the delicacy of Susanna’s work. I would think that glass would be highly breakable and difficult to ship, but it is the contrary.
Corrado describes it as delicate as a luxury watch or any piece of valuable jewellery. You should be aware of it, but it doesn’t interfere with your daily life. Even their glass keychains are robust enough to handle daily use. I personally own a few of Susanna’s pieces and I am surprised at how much they hold up to daily life and never loose their beauty.
A 5 strand necklace from the “Stone” collection.
MUTINA { unforgettable }
As I mentioned before, Susanna divides her work into different collections based on her inspiration for each. One of my absolute favourite collections is named after the ancient Roman word for Modena, “MUTINA”, founded in 183 B.C. on an Etruscan settlement. It embodies the traditions of this territory and is inspired by one of the World’s most ancient condiments, balsamic vinegar.
Here, a single drop of thick balsamic vinegar drips slowly down. She’s beautifully captured the long moment of waiting for balsamic vinegar, which, contrary to what you may have tasted in the past, is as thick as molasses and is actually a deep ruby red.
Soon I will be sharing the story of the Acetaia Malagoli Daniele, one of the few producers of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. You will also have a chance to win a luxury prize package featuring a bottle of traditional Balsamic Vinegar D.O.P. and a jewellery set from Susanna Martini’s MUTINA collection featuring a pendant necklace, drop earrings and the matching key chain (Valued at 145 Euro).
What to do in Modena, Italy
If you find yourself in Modena and are looking for an authentic experience then I highly recommend a visit to La Gioja di Susanna Martini. One of the best keepsakes and souvenirs from any vacation is a piece of jewellery as each time you wear it you will be reminded of your vacation! Not to mention how wonderful it is when someone asks “Where did you get that?” and you can answer “I bought it from an artist in Italy!”
Her pieces are affordable enough to gift (simple rings and bracelets range from 15 – 25 Euro each). And if you are looking for a one of a kind statement necklace there is no limit to the selection! She also has his and hers matching sets for special occasions including necklaces and matching cufflinks. Or her famous “Vortice” Vortex work featuring bold rings of colour.
Visiting & Info
La Gioja di Susanna Martini
http://www.lagioja.com/
Via Cesare Battisti 38, Modena, italy
+39 059 8756488
Opening hours:
9 am – 1 pm open
1 pm – 3:30 closed for lunch
3:30 pm – 7:30 pm open each day but Thursday afternoons, when all stores in Modena are closed.
View Larger Map
This article is part of HAND MAND – The new series dedicated to Italian Artisans on Reasons to Dress. Visit the other posts in this series, including a profile on textile artisan Cecilia Lugli and the bottega La Vacchetta Grassa.