Alexander Cortés

Metalero

Silversmith

©Metalero

The metal fableman

Alexander set up his studio and label, Metalero, in 2013
His creations are inspired by Colombian folklore and myths, turned into contemporary artistic form
He is currently the Creative Leader of the National Jewellery Program at Artesanías de Colombia

Captivated since childhood by the fables of Colombian folklore, each chapter of Alexander Cortés' life and art has enriched his storytelling passion. “I speak the language of metal, and through my work, I rescue the tales of our collective imagery,” he says. Alexander’s silver works depict mythical characters, connecting with different Colombian provinces and subcultures through pre-Columbian silversmithing techniques. He had a basic introduction to jewellery at SENA vocational school in 2006 and later refined his technique at Escuela de Artes y Oficios Santo Domingo (EAOSD) from where he graduated in 2014. His works were sponsored for exhibition at Ibero-American Design Biennial in Madrid in 2014, New York’s Sotheby’s in 2015, and Paris Design Week in 2017.

Interview

©Metalero

©Metalero

Why were you drawn to study jewellery?: At 22, I was about to enter a programme on jewellery technique at SENA vocational school. Unexpectedly at that time, I reconnected with my estranged paternal family. I discovered that my grandfather was a jeweller and that both my father and grandfather ran a family business in Bogota’s iconic emerald district called Calle 12, selling precious metals, refined and purified. This incredible story proved to me that vocations can be embedded in our DNA.
How did this renewed contact shape your future as a jeweller?: It was pivotal. I joined the Cortés’ business at Calle 12, a micro-cosmos of metal and precious stone merchants. I learned about the inner workings of the business while I continued my jewellery studies at EAOSD a few blocks away. Not only was I designing and making jewellery, I was also selling the raw metals. I had the fortune of being part of the whole production chain.
How would you define your craft?: I interpret my craft as a language. I speak 'metal'. Through this language, I can tell long lost fables from remote provinces in Colombia, like the Amazon and the Orinoquia lowlands. There is a goldsmithing history we have yet to discover in those regions.
What is your philosophy about savoir-faire?: For me, it lies in the careful and detailed work on what is not seen. It may be a constructive solution, the inner details in a vase or the smallest detail like the brand name. That which the eye may miss should be perfectly finished.

Alexander Cortés is a master artisan: he began his career in 2009 and he started teaching in 2016