David Sandu, the designer: “Jewelry allows me to understand the world I live in”

If you missed a beautiful jewelry show and you think (like I do) that once a year is not enough 🙂 to see all the amazing things at Romanian Jewelry Week, you will be more than happy to find out that this weekend, the sparkling contemporary design jewelry feast is back in town! At Galateca Gallery, more than 30 designers (students from Assamblage Jewelry School and others very young designers) will have their works on display. Among them, David Sandu, the Romanian jewelry designer, founder of Assamblage Jewelry School, with a new and fascinating collection. I talked with the designer David Sandu about the message of this fresh collection, about the evolution of Assamblage Jewelry School and the challenges that an artist have to face nowadays. Do not forget – see you on 14 & 15 of December!
14-15 of December – at Galateca – Assamblage Fine Christmas. (Str. C.A. Rosetti 2-4, 11:00-19:00, Free Entrance)
One special collection will be presented by the jewelry designer (and founder of Assamblage) David Sandu – https://www.davidsandu.com/ / Instagram – @david_sandu / @assamblage.school.
What is your collection presented here, ar Assamblage Fine Christmas, about? What is its message?
What I will exhibit at Assamblage Fine Christmas is the continuation of the “5% + Classic” theme – an area of interest in which I periodically find myself again, and in which I am able to recharge my batteries, by being in contact with classical jewelry and the old masters of the guild I’m part of. It allows for a technical, formal and cultural meeting and dialogue with the illustrious precedents of classical jewelry. The “new” factor is created by the fact that I will also exhibit some pieces containing gemstones that I have drawn and faceted myself, in my own studio, uniting two domains which are usually entirely distinct in terms of specialization and profession – very few designers manage to fuse these two technical aspects of classical jewelry. I’m learning new things, and I have managed to incorporate them into works that perpetuate my creative endeavors.
What does jewelry mean to you, in general?
Jewelry is the world I have found myself in ever since the age of 13, it is a space of introspection and that allows me to understand the world I live in. It is the coagulating element through which I gather and add information and knowledge, it is my operating tool. It represents, of course, more than a profession – beyond the job itself lies the lens through which I look at the world and position myself in it. It is a cultural vehicle and a concrete way of manifestation. These two simultaneous aspects have maintained me in this “formula” for a very long time.
Tell me more how did you start this jewelry school and which were the most important moments of its evolution? Students that are you very proud about…
The Assamblage project started with our jewelry school and was then continued with the co-working space, mentoring, with exhibitions and events dedicated to promoting designers who have started their journey by coming to Assamblage School, its culminating point being the organizing of Romanian Jewelry Week. It all happened gradually and organically, we kept adding, layer by layer, to our “recipe, in a manner through which we managed to slightly anticipate the market’s needs and wants, while also responding to the preexisting ones. It was and still is a teamwork endeavor, coordinated by an incredibly small team when considering what we have managed to achieve. Looking retrospectively, it’s hard even for us to believe how 5 people have achieved so much in these 15 years. To name the students of whom we are proud might be too big of a responsibility, perhaps, in this context. They have all fulfilled their duty. What can be said about us is that we have accepted our role and that we’ve done our job as well as we could. If we look, however, at the jewelry market in Romania, I think about 85% of the designers have started with us. Which is an honor to us.

The biggest challenge for a designer nowadays is…
The designer is subjected to constant challenges. The ideas and innovation in our market are extremely alive, prosperous and dynamic. Many genius ideas go by unnoticed, are assimilated with other more important ideas, and end up diluting in the grand scheme of the market. I think that the two areas in which a creator, or maker, must know how to navigate and harmonize are deeply related to the macro and micro, the general and the personal. How can you produce “objective” value? And how can you find yourself in what it is that you do? This is a very old theme that philosophy has cultivated and for which many nuances and variations have been found. At a certain point it is crucial to be able to synthesize and to reach simultaneity within your processes, even if jus for a short period of time. In other words, to be happy and original within your craft.

The moodboard for jewelry will always include…
The idea, the artist, the object, and the public – four elements that ask and need to be put together, regardless of whether you want to or not, regardless of whether it is a conscious act or pure inspiration. When the result is understood and received by as many people as possible, these 4 elements are in equilibrium with one another. In other words, it is not enough to have an idea, it must be formulated in a personal and directed manner. And the concrete way in which you do this must include the viewer, the wearer and the user. This is where the loop can end and only then is it possible to understand what has “happened” with the initial idea. Art jewelry is not an exception from this way of representing the artistic act. Regardless of whether you work with classic materials – precious metals or gemstones – or with alternative materials, the harmonization and synchronizing of these 4 elements will always remain the grand challenge.

The designers at Assamblage Christmas are…
Alexandrina Remescu, Alina Bancila, Alina Cuvin, Amelia Stan, Ana Stefanescu, Anca Barleanu, CARA, Catalina Geru, Contemporia, Corina Mardari, Galatheea Finery, David Sandu, Diana Iordache, Anayd Blu, Huda Mahdi, Kalita Jewelry, Ioana Zamfirescu, Irina Alexandru, Irina Nicolescu, Isabela Groza, Jasiri, Monica Stanescu, Radu Comanac, Ramona Popescu, Razvan Bungardean, Slavka Vasilache, Logvin Jewelry, Valentina Cziko, Veronica Tarcatu.
Translation to English – by Ilinca Mara Sandu.