Czech designer Tereza Cermakova stood proudly near the display case at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid. On exhibition are several of her pieces including four silver rings enveloping scarlet and navy gemstones. The ring’s metal has been smoothed and polished, reflecting back a curved reflection of the viewer’s portrait. emulating her inspiration in nature.
Cermakova is the only Czech artist at the exhibition which showcases modern jewelry creation and innovation.
Cermakova grew up in Vysocina, Czech Republic and spent several years traveling and working as an au pair. Eventually she enrolled in design school and mastered her craft under the guidance of jewelry master Claudio Franchi.
Though its prevalence in Madrid is small, the Czech community has come to embrace Cermakova’s success. The Czech Center Madrid has been boasting about her exhibition on their website for weeks.
Several other Czech visitors living in Madrid have come to the exhibition to catch a glance of the artist’s work and engage in a conversation in their mother tongue. They are also excited about the recognition their country is receiving in an area where the influence of the Czechs is so limited.
Q: What is the inspiration behind your jewelry designs?
A: I usually try to show an element of feeling in the designs since they are very abstractly shaped. I have a collection called “Relationships”. So I am not necessarily inspired by physical things but rather concepts. I do prefer organic shapes. My designs are also meant to be smooth to the touch so their viewers feel a desire to pick them up and touch them.
Q: Do the pieces you chose for this exhibition have a unifying theme?
A: They all contain elements of hiding something within. When you look at the pieces in the exhibition you see that the outside is made of plain silver metal. But the inner part of each ring holds a colorful stone. The idea is that there is something beautiful hidden inside of each piece.
Q: How would you describe your design style?
A: Definitely organic. I also tend to design pieces that are very bold. They are very large which gives them a very extravagant look. And I want people to want to pick them up and touch them. During my exhibitions I often see people looking at the pieces with a desire to pick them up and feel them, which is the goal.
Q: How did you decide to pursue a career in jewelry?
A: I always liked creating things with my hands. My father was a tailor so I would often go into his workshop and make things out of various materials he had laying around. And then after high school and a few years of traveling I decided to apply to design school in Rome. I was not really sure how it was going to go, but when I began the program I loved it and decided to continue.
Q: You now live in the Czech Republic. What prompted your decision to move home?
A: Because of my children and because of me. Because of my job. It’s much easier to do something back at home where you are not a foreigner. And you are able to move around in your career easier at least in my field. The circle of jewelers there is pretty small, so I am trying to sell myself abroad too.
Q: What has your experience been with the Czech community in Madrid?
A: Amazing. Amazing. The Czech Center helped a lot. And I think they are happy about any Czech that comes to visit here and they are able to promote. So they even picked me up at the airport and brought me to my accommodation. I met a few other people who have lived for 20-30 years and came to see the exhibition. And they were all very friendly.