Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast: Making Art Work
Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast: Making Art Work
#314: Valentina Caprini (Jewelry Artist) (pt. 2 of 2)
Today we released part two of our interview with Valentina Caprini. She’s a jewelry designer, artist and teacher based in Florence, Italy. She comes from a long line of tailors and seamstresses, and studied at the Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School in Florence.
Valentina founded Linfa Studio Gallery in 2019 and has given lectures on jewelry-making around the world. Her designs incorporate the ancient filigree technique of weaving metal threads, into what she describes as “wearable art.”
If you are looking for inspiration in building your arts studio, you won't want to miss Valentina's interview! https://www.valentinacaprini.com/ and https://www.linfastudiogallery.com/
Welcome to the Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast. Making art work. We highlight how entrepreneurs align their artistry, passion and vision to create and pursue opportunities to capture value in the arts. The views expressed by guests on the Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the podcast or its hosts. The appearance of a guest on the podcast, the venture they represent or reference to any product or service does not imply an endorsement or recommendation by the podcast or its hosts. The content provided is for entertainment and informational purposes only and does not constitute business advice. Here are your hosts Andy Heise and Nick Petrella.
Andy Heise:Hi Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast listeners. I'm Andy Heise and.
Nick Petrella:I'm Nick Petrella. Valentina Caprini is on the podcast today. She's a jewelry designer, artist and teacher based in Florence, Italy. She comes from a long line of tailors and seamstresses and studied at the Alchemia Contemporary Jewelry School in Florence. Valentina founded Linfa Studio Gallery in 2021, and she has given lectures on jewelry making around the world. Her designs incorporate the ancient filigree technique of weaving metal threads into what she describes as wearable art. We'll have all of Valentina's websites in the show notes so you can learn more about her and see her beautiful jewelry. Quick shout out to my student, Nadia, who helped arrange this interview. Thanks so much for being with us, Valentina.
Valentina Caprini:Thank you for having me.
Andy Heise:So you started Leanfa in 2021?.
Valentina Caprini:Yes.
Andy Heise:Did the global pandemic have anything to do with the decision to start the business, just based on the timeframe?
Valentina Caprini:frame. Uh, actually it has a connection because for two years I had to work in a really small place at home and I have to say that was really, really difficult and at one point, even if we were not sure what, what was going to happen, I told to myself that I really have to get out from that space and that gave me really the energy to be also courageous, because at that point really you didn't know if we had to be locked up for other two years. I didn't really know that, but I was like you know what Sometimes you have to. You know, go for it even if you're not sure. And that was the best decision because I found a really nice place and I'm really happy now. Yeah.
Andy Heise:And so working at home in the small space just wasn't as inspiring or exciting or fulfilling.
Valentina Caprini:I didn't have space to teach, for example, because now in this studio is big enough to us, even six, seven, eight students, yeah, and so I couldn't teach. I couldn't sell, because the studio in Florence is in the center, so you know people are passing by. Then I can, yeah, so it's completely different, it's. I live a little bit in the countryside outside Florence, so it wasn't working like here.
Nick Petrella:Yeah, and it's probably cheaper in the countryside than in the middle of Florence.
Valentina Caprini:I won't say that because the countryside of Florence, because Florence, the city center, is quite small and as soon as you get out you are in the countryside and the countryside is amazing, it's super beautiful and sometimes the houses there are more expensive than the one in the center.
Nick Petrella:Oh, that's interesting.
Valentina Caprini:It's, I mean it's expensive everywhere here.
Announcer:Yeah, right, right.
Valentina Caprini:Yeah, but yeah.
Nick Petrella:It looks like you host outside exhibits at your studio gallery. How do you determine the exhibitions and what's the process for artists who want to display in your gallery?
Valentina Caprini:Okay. So, yeah, that happened and I really love it because I really like to mix up the jewelry world with other arts world with other arts, and so I host like an art photography exhibition and also like a concert, because I have a garden in the studio. It was an event that was organized by a theater really nice theater that is here in the center of Florence, but unfortunately, because well, because my business is growing, unfortunately I don't have time now to take care also about that. So if somebody has a beautiful idea to make something great, I'm really open to it and you know to do it together. But right now, because I have, I'm teaching and I'm making jewelry commissions and all the other things that we were talking about before, I seriously cannot take care about these exhibitions as well. There is too much work. But who knows? Right, I'm always open to new things. Yeah, good.
Andy Heise:You just mentioned commission work. Do you do a lot of commission work, or is that a newer thing, or have you always done that?
Valentina Caprini:Yes, I do, but I don't accept all of them.
Andy Heise:Yeah, yeah.
Valentina Caprini:Absolutely, because if it's something that is going with my style, that I can really, you know, be, because in my style, of course, I'm good at it, so I know that I can give you the. I will be no because it's not. Yeah, I will not be even so good to make it, probably you know. So, yeah, but I love to do commissions about really meaningful, meaningful jewelry. So, for example, wedding rings oh, I love them because it's something, it's a piece of metal that the people get into their body, on their body, and it will last forever and they. It's a symbol of, like, the most important feelings and relationship in our life, and this is a really nice contrast that is inside the jewelry world. So jewelry can be considered one of the useless things that you can read of, you know, like when you are in an emergency, but at the same time, can be the symbol of your most important relation. So it's really interesting. I think it's a really contrast in the same thing.
Andy Heise:Yeah, yeah, and so we've talked about this a little bit. But the future of your of Linfa is you plan to expand like physically, geographically maybe, or collaborate with other designers and jewelry makers, maybe explore new product lines? What do you think in there?
Valentina Caprini:Okay, because in this area, in the city center, we are many artisans and artists ceramics, mosaics, gold leaf textile and so we got together and we created a map which is called Not For Tourists Map, and we collaborate and we help each other in order to well advertise each other, of course, but also to create a net of real places, because, you know, unfortunately Florence is becoming more and more like a touristic city and what you see around is for tourists, and so what we really want to offer is our real places, and so I really love to uh, be open and, yeah, do projects with them, and it's going really good and I'm really happy because it's something that we self-made, self-paid, self-paid and self-everything. It's completely independent from anybody, so that's really good. I love that.
Andy Heise:And so these would be other artists that have the same sort of commitment to tradition and quality that you would have, Absolutely yeah.
Valentina Caprini:We did a selection of places with the high-quality standards, absolutely of places with the high quality standards. Absolutely, because there is this field in the middle, this hobby land that many people of course, they love to make whatever. But yeah, no, we are all professionals and everybody is making and selling their things in the same place. So we are all professionals and everybody is making and selling their things in the same place. So we are all independent realities.
Nick Petrella:Yes, yeah, it's a great idea when could we find?
Andy Heise:sorry, nick where could we find that, that map or that list? Is it on the web?
Valentina Caprini:somewhere. Yes, we have Instagram. That is called not for curious map, and from there you can also download a PDF.
Andy Heise:And you said Not For.
Valentina Caprini:Tourists.
Andy Heise:Map Tourists okay, tourists yes map.
Nick Petrella:I came across that actually in my research.
Valentina Caprini:I just don't remember where I saw it. Yeah, yeah, really.
Nick Petrella:Yeah, I spend a lot of time when we're researching guests. Okay, yeah.
Andy Heise:Yeah, so I love the name of it Not For Tourists, because you're probably specifically targeting tourists, absolutely, but tourists that don't want to be tourists, exactly.
Valentina Caprini:It's what everybody wants at the end. Because it's so stupid. I mean, when you travel, everybody wants, at the end it's. It's because it's so stupid?
Nick Petrella:I mean when, when you travel, everybody wants to get to the authentic places. Nobody wants to get to the touristic places and what?
Valentina Caprini:is funny is that if florence is full of places for tourists and they are ruining everything, so we feel to be really a resistance, how do you say yeah? That's right yeah to really like be authentic is not something. It's not something that is coming like so easily in a city like that, and it's so important to to be authentic. So yeah, yeah.
Nick Petrella:So if someone's starting out maybe they're listening to this podcast and say they're in jewelry design and they want to create jewelry, like you, is it possible to do so on a limited budget, or do you think they need access to expensive tools and machinery?
Valentina Caprini:Well, about jewelry tools. I think that is one of the craft in which you can get as many tools as you want. There is a crazy world about tools and there are like so many kinds and from cheap ones to really expensive ones. If somebody wants to start like, um, you know, in any craft you need to have a little budget and but you can start from small. Like tools, you need like the basic ones. Okay, those are more than enough to start.
Valentina Caprini:But also, I will suggest personally, personally like to invest in the tools, of course, because you need them to work, but also to invest in few lessons of jewelry making from somebody that can really show you and teach you how to make it, because jewelry making is not something that you can start by yourself in your garage, in your room. You say, oh, I will try with the fire to solder these two things together. I mean, of course you can, but you're going to lose a lot of time because it's really specific, is really it's precise, but it's not really. That is, there are really specific actions that you should make in order to create something with metal. So I would really suggest to take like a few lessons is enough to give you a basic knowledge and then from there you can experiment. Okay, but really invest in some lessons Definitely.
Andy Heise:Perfect, valentina. We've reached the point of the interview where we ask all of our interviewees the same three questions, and the first first question is what advice would you give to someone wanting to become an art entrepreneur?
Valentina Caprini:okay, okay, so definitely, um, to be uh together with somebody else that is in your same uh, that wants to take your same adventure. Because, um, when you uh, when you are learning something new and also when you want to uh start a business, for me it was really important to be together with others that were doing the same, because there are so many things to learn at the beginning the market and if you want to sell online and like the same jewelry process making process that you can really learn from each other and support each other. I shared a studio for six years, okay, with other seven, eight, nine, ten jewelers, and that was super, super important for me. After that, after that, you got some experience. Then you can, you know, be by yourself and do the things by yourself, but the beginning is really important to be with others. So this is it.
Valentina Caprini:Don't be afraid, as there was this idea before about a competition, right, oh, we do the same job and you should not see what I'm doing because you're going to copy it. I mean, right, there is no way that there is internet? Right, you can copy whatever is like a click and you can see. So, uh, also go beyond this idea. That was a old idea about artisans that I can see in Florence as well, that you know you should be closing your studio and don't show to anybody your job, your, your pieces. Just be with the others and it's going to be much better. Yeah, yeah.
Nick Petrella:What can we do to ensure the arts are more accessible and reaching the widest possible audience?
Valentina Caprini:Okay, yes, I was thinking to answer to this question, talking about Florence in itself, again, because Florence is considered to be one of the most important cities in the world for crafts and art, right? So many people from all around the world are coming here, from any age, to study art. Okay, so a way to ensure that the arts are more accessible for me in my city because it has this characteristic is that the municipality of florence will give some of the many, many, many empty spaces that this city has to create the, for example, art communities, or to give the space for free to artists in so they can meet each other and then they can exchange, because the exchange of, uh, my knowledge for example, I know how to make jewelry and you know how to paint, okay, or you know how to to take pictures that are is something really useful, right? So if we can exchange that, the knowledge with them, how do you say when you exchange something without money?
Andy Heise:Yeah, trade Trade.
Valentina Caprini:Yeah With a trade, with a trade that will be like a really nice way, without using money in the middle, to make arts more accessible. Mostly yeah, in a city like Florence with such like a richness of people coming and going interested in arts.
Andy Heise:Lastly, what's the best entrepreneurial advice or artistic advice that you've received?
Valentina Caprini:right.
Valentina Caprini:So I heard many people saying that nowadays is impossible to make new art because everything is already has been made okay, and I don't agree with that, because one of the best advices that was given to me is that if I really want to make new art, really unique art, I should look at my roots, I should look at where I'm coming from and, from there, understand who I am uh today, because each of us is not special, is not about to be special, is about to be unique, and definitely each of us is unique.
Valentina Caprini:So if you really uh understand what is there are like the ingredients of your own personal receipt receipt no recipe, sorry you can eventually translate that into your art pieces and in that way you can really say something that is really coming from you. So when you you know, maybe you run out of ideas, you don't know uh where where to go or like on which experiment you should do. Really, to come back to yourself, to your roots, to who you are, and from there you can find something, for sure unique, that can guide you.
Nick Petrella:That's great. Well, it's been great having you on the podcast, Valentina, and it's just. It's really inspiring to hear how you're helping the old world traditions thrive.
Valentina Caprini:Thank you so much. Grazie, mille, grazie, grazie, mille Grazie, grazie a voi. Thank you so much, thank you. Ciao.
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