Rita Soto

Jewellery maker

©Rita Soto

From volcanoes to cocoons, made of horsehair

Rita handcrafts contemporary jewellery pieces from horsehair and other materials
She participated in Révélations Paris, Cheongju Craft Biennale, and was a 2018 Loewe Prize Finalist
Her work explores biology, memory and the Chilean landscape

Rita Soto embraced jewellery making soon after graduating in industrial design in 2002. It was a familiar craft that her father, as a traditional jeweller, practised throughout her childhood. Rita began her own journey in jewellery craftsmanship by collaborating on academic and social projects with Chilean artisans. She opened her jewellery studio in 2012. In 2016, she discovered Rari horsehair micro-basketry, an ancestral technique from the Maule region. Inspired by the versatility of the material and of the horsehair weaving techniques, Rita creates organic, amorphous jewellery designs that explore nurturing and interconnectedness. Her signature aesthetic includes metaphorical shapes around biology, parasitical relationships, cocoon-like forms, organs, and summoning the past to live in the present.

Interview

©Rita Soto

©Rita Soto

What memories do you have of your father’s jewellery studio?: I can recall his tools, especially the blowtorch, because I was afraid of it. I also remember his hands, stained by the metal. I enjoyed gathering small pieces of wood and recycled material around the house to cut and assemble things I would give away as presents. I was well known for my 'strange' gifts.
What are your main sources of inspiration?: I like to make their structure and fibres visible. I go through a research process and then define a theme to create series of works. The theme determines the forms, materials and the type of accessory I will produce. I am inspired by natural elements like tubes, body tissues and organs, and marine creatures, and I have produced series out of collaborations with authors and illustrators.
How did you transition from industrial design to jewellery?: Early motherhood was the reason I initially turned to jewellery making. I had just graduated and it allowed me to work from home, close to my newborn son. A few years later, I returned to my profession as an industrial designer and worked there for eight years, but in the end, I committed to craftsmanship. I opened my own studio and began working in collaborative, private and public projects.
How have collectives and knowledge exchange defined your path?: Upon returning to jewellery, I created Lajoia Lab, my own jewellery school, and joined Joya Brava Association. Chile had no real craft schools at the time and the association fostered relations between artisans and exhibition venues. We created an annual event and organised exhibitions abroad. Sharing knowledge and uniting efforts collectively have undoubtedly been paramount to my career and its evolution.

Rita Soto is a master artisan: she began her career in 2002 and she started teaching in 2012