This flag is a continuation of the sculptures I started doing using jewelry itself as a medium. I’ve been collecting jewelry that people have donated to me. I do an open call where people can send me bags of jewelry, discarded jewelry, jewelry that doesn’t work for them anymore, or it’s broken or they hate it because it’s vintage. Not only have I been collecting from people, but also constantly on my travels. I always look for jewelry that I could repurpose from flea markets, from the swap meets. The meaning behind it is really beautiful. I think about who owned this jewelry, the stories that come with the jewelry — your grandma’s earring could be there. I think the stories that each piece carries, and also the energy that might carry, is so cool. It’s not just putting a bunch of jewelry in a piece, but it’s being conscious and also curating what kind of jewelry is going to go in each piece. It becomes like a painting or a drawing.
This new body of work screams “abundance.” I opened my second institutional show, “Greetings From Tijuana” at the New Mexico State University’s University Art Museum [open through March 16], and a lot of these pieces are from there. They’re all part of this series called “Los Mexican Curios” that are sculptures using already-made objects that are sold at the border, which are very tacky and kitsch objects — mainly piggy banks, fake luxury goods, a Tweety or Hello Kitty figurine. I’m repurposing them and giving them a new life, and also covering the imperfections in the ceramics with jewelry to elevate the works.
Georgina Treviño is a Tijuana-born and San Diego-based artist, jeweler and educator who creates boundary-pushing works exhibited internationally. Featured in major publications, she has collaborated with global brands and icons like Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Rosalía and Nike.
