Salcedo Auctions inaugurates its Private View exhibition program with “Celia Molano: Enchanted Ornaments” until June 31 at its newly opened annex at Three Salcedo Place.

As one of the Philippines’ most celebrated jewelry designers, Celia Molano’s bespoke pieces each tell a tale of their own. Handcrafted glass beads, semiprecious stones, corals, and excavated gold and silver ornaments are lavishly put together to form an exquisite piece that is nothing less than wearable art.

While embodying the elements of Filipino style and tradition, Molano’s jewelry also explores the vast influences from Asia, all the way to Europe and Africa, which is apparent in the panoply of ways she chooses to make all the elements of her materials come together. With various cultural influences making an impact on her work, it’s possible to spot traditional salakot designs alongside semiprecious stones and ancient gold, or beads and corals all the way from Africa.

Marriage of East and West

The fusion of her influences, and her longtime love affair with jewelry have for years allowed her to create pieces that are both innovative in construction and design yet timeless in their beauty. By uniting art and antiquity, Molano provides her collectors and observers with a refreshing take on the old and the new, the East and the West—a marriage of only the best and the most beautiful in a single piece of art.

The knowledge and understanding that Molano has for her work, her art, the artistic influences of her country are apparent in every single piece she creates, a task that many artists have yet to undertake. Her capacity to continuously create spell-binding work has made her one of the most sought-after jewelry designers in Asia.

A seasoned artist, Molano has had 28 major solo exhibitions, the first of which was under the patronage of National Artist Arturo Luz. Over the years, she has exhibited to collectors, museums and galleries around the world, including the prestigious Bowers Museum in California and Museum Kampa in Prague.

The exhibition catalogue features an essay by Rita Ledesma, former president of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

For inquiries, e-mail [email protected]; tel 6594094.