“Stillness
not on the branch
in the air
Not in the air
in the moment
hummingbird ”
Hummingbird ring.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Ives Klein
I try to go out once a week with my dad. He is slowly gaining strength and cannot walk yet, but he appreciates short visits to quiet places, and he lives near the National University's Cultural Center, home to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
We wheeled through the Ives Klein exhibit in contemplative silence, my father looking like a rockstar with the sunglasses he wears to shade his eyes from the light.
Undercurrent
Explore the depths of your soul.
Undercurrent ring.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Sunny
As happy as a bug in the sun.
Supercharged ring.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Wake up Call
That wake up call you have been hearing? Trust that it will lead you towards greater joy.
Awaken ring.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Meet my neighborhood: Coyoacán
My favorite thing to do is to walk the streets with a camera in hand and capture beauty. In Coyoacán, my new neighborhood, this is easy. Everything seems to shout out: look at me, I'm interesting!
Day of the Dead
This morning, I took my dad to the main square of Coyoacán. We decided to honor each of those who are no longer with us, by celebrating life.
Our hearts were filled with images of happy families, ornate food, playful art, and the saturated colors of one of the most festive days of the year.
Art Clay Documentary
Here's a short documentary made by my talented friend, David Haghenbeck, from Focus Cinema and Wild Film, for the first Art Clay Mexico exhibition. He and his lovely wife and creative partner, Patricia, photographed and filmed me in my Roma apartment in early September.
This is the english translation of the interview:
My name is Jennifer Musi and I am a jeweler.
It has has been 9 years this month since I began to make jewelry. I took a class in a government-run trade school, where I learnt the technical aspects of the trade: how to cut, solder, and learn all the basic skills you need to make jewelry with a few tools and a simple method.
I began to create from an early age. My mother is an artist, and when my sister and I were little, she showed us how to make things so that we would let her work in peace. She taught us every new medium she learnt. We learnt to make punch rugs, sew, knit, dye fabric and paint. So ever since I was young, making things with my hands has been natural to me.
I love Art Clay because I was first a painter and a ceramist, and my work as a jeweler is very graphic. Art Clay allows me to draw on a maleable substance and turn it into a piece that is hardened by fire. With my background as a visual artist, it is the perfect medium for me to make jewelry.
Art Clay registers every mark I make when I draw on a soft rubber mold. It is the best way to faithfully reproduce something. I love that I get to keep every mark I make during the building process: it registers fingerprints or crooked lines, and both can be part of the finished silver piece. I think that those details or “accidents” give life to a handmade object. It’s like when children draw, it’s their looseness and freedom which gives their art such energy and vitality.
For this show, I made 15 small amulets. Some will later become pendants or rings, but for this exhibition I decided to leave them as small frames. Every piece has a figure; there are animals, objects and people. I like that every one is a symbol: the hand represents peace or protection, animals are the beast within, they are all a part of us. I wanted to create a playful inner world.
Coyoacán Tree House
I have a new home. The earthquake kicked me out of the colonia Roma, and now I live in the south of the city, in a colorful borough named Coyoacán (Place of Coyotes, in Nahuatl).
Colonia del Carmen, where my apartment is located, has been home to the poet Octavio Paz, the actors Dolores del Río and Mario Moreno Cantinflas, exiled Leon Trotsky, and of course, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, among many other creative beings.
Here, I feel the ancient roots of Mexico. The old hacienda homes, the carved churches, the amber fragrance of copal incence, the abundant food and craft market. Nature is present on every block, and my heart soars when I pass flowering cacti on the sidewalks, or walk under the shade of magnificent jacaranda trees.
The national university is nearby, so there are students enjoying themselves in every park bench and fountain; some read, others converse, exited to be alive. I feel the same way.
I am grateful that the adventure continues. After the ground shook me, I became more present. I no longer seek to understand the great mystery of life, I just let myself feel it.
Welcome to my home!
Art Clay Exhibit: Franz Mayer Museum
It was an honor to participate in the first Art Clay exhibit in Mexico City!
The show will be open through Sunday at the Franz Mayer Museum, as part of the Abierto Mexicano de Diseño.
Earthquake
My Etsy shop will be closed until October 2.
Mexico was hit by two major earthquakes. The first (on September 7) hit the southern states, and the second (on September 19) hit the central areas of the country.
My family and loved ones are safe, but many parts of Mexico are still in chaos. Many buildings fell, others were severely damaged, and thousands of people lost everything. If you can help, here's a list of reliable relief efforts that take online donations.
Thank you!
Amulet 4 and 5
“If we’re willing to simply be curious, our true nature starts to reveal itself. ”
Amulet 4 and 5.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Alive
I began this painting a few weeks ago.
Then I went to see a healer.
She told me to use bigger brushes, to seek expression, and let my sexual energy do the painting. She said the cathartic process would heal me.
Here's the result.
Viva.
Acrylic on wood panel.
39" by 55" (1 m by 1.40 cm).
Amulet 2 and 3
The beast within is also your teacher.
Amulet 2 and 3.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Postal service delays in the US
Welcome to all of you who are new to my work and my Etsy shop! I am honored to meet such beautiful kindred spirits.
If you live in the US and purchased my jewelry in the past few weeks, I want you to know that there will be postal service delays in the US due to damage caused by hurricanes in the southern distribution centers. Packages will now be sent from Mexico to New York and be distributed to the rest of the country from there.
I hope it's not a big delay, but it may add a couple of weeks to the usual 2-5 week delivery time.
Thank you so much for your patience!
Amulet 1
Animals and symbols often show up in my dreams. I always ask what they mean to me, because through them, I can get to know deeper parts of my mind. Sometimes they represent fears, but other times, strengths I didn't know I had.
Amulet 1.
Handmade with recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.
Abierto Mexicano de Diseño
I've been away for a while, and I wanted to thank you for your kind comments on Instagram and Facebook. Your encouragement means the world to me!
Since I last wrote, I have so much to be grateful for:
My dad is finally home after a long stint at the hospital
We survived last night's earthquake
It's been 10 years this month since I took my first jewelry class
I sold my 800th piece on Etsy!
I've also had lots of fun making amulets with Art Clay. The group you see here will be exhibited in the Abierto Mexicano de Diseño from October 18-22, in downtown Mexico City.
I will continue to add to this series next week. Every piece will be available in my online shop.
Have a wonderful and inspiring weekend!
Art Clay Exhibit
I was invited by Art Clay Silver to design jewelry pieces for this year's Abierto Mexicano de Diseño, an international design festival that promotes Mexican designers and artists. The event will take place in October in several historic buildings in downtown Mexico City.
Art Clay is a maleable medium that lets me turn my drawings into three dimensions. I'll be working on my proposals all week. I hope I can show you previews!
Shop Update: Intertwined earrings
Intertwined Series
I will add the Intertwined Earring series to my online shop tomorrow, Monday, between 1 and 2 pm CST.