Renata Ferrari

Beadworker

From mother to daughter

Renata learnt bead making from her mother
She has several lines of beads, ranging from traditional to contemporary
Her co-workers started training with her when they were 15

Renata Ferrari could make beads before she could walk. Her mother, Adelina, was an expert Venetian-beads maker, an artisan and also an artist: whatever she saw – a painting, a scarf, a landscape – she would reproduce in her glass beads. She worked in the kitchen, where she had a small furnace. On the same flame, on Sundays, she would prepare barley sweets for her daughters; today, Renata still associates the fire to the sweet scent of barley sweets. Through the flame, Adelina taught Renata life, and Renata never once burnt herself, despite the fact that they had a 1,200°C furnace in the kitchen. At only 25, Renata opened her own lab, eventually “hiring” her mother who, after having been her teacher, became her business partner and her muse.

Interview

How would you define what you do?: I create art. I have my brand, “La Perla Veneziana”, through which I sell beads and necklaces, but I also have other lines of production. I work with fashion designers, creating exclusive pieces for their collections, and I have a line of beads made out of exclusively recycled materials.
Could you tell us something about your work that people don’t normally know?: Jewellery making is considered a feminine craft, but what I actually do is handle boiling matter and work with a furnace. My great-grandmother believed that men and women only differ in the fact that men eat more: it was a very forward idea back then, it has led men and women in our family to learn how to do everything, regardless of gender.
How has your work evolved over the years?: Bead-making in Venice is something very common, a lot of people do it. When my mother saw our work exhibited at the tradeshows in Paris, she couldn’t believe we had managed to take it so far. Today there are several women working with me: I started training them when they were 15, now they are 40, we grew together.
What do you think of the jewellery culture in Italy today?: In general, a jewel is considered relevant only if it is gold or made in other precious materials. Costume jewellery isn’t considered important, its artistic value and the work behind it is simply not acknowledged. However in 2020, glass-bead making has become a UNESCO heritage craft.

Renata Ferrari is a master artisan: she began her career in 1991 and she started teaching in 2004