The In Between: Meeting Constanza Bielsa in Santiago

When I saw Constanza's work at the Joya Chilena show, I was amazed. I'd already come across her pieces at a museum shop, so I went away and did some research, reading and looking into what her work was really about.

I managed to spend one day in Santiago at the end of October, food poisoning and all, and got to meet her in person. I felt like a total fan. Funnily enough, when I introduced myself, she said, "Ah, you're from Contemporanea, you recently started following me!" So yes, that's one of the ways I do my research.

We talked about her work, the people we had in common, and our experiences working with artists and shops overseas. I bought a couple of pieces I loved, and we agreed to meet again for coffee.

We met the following week at a little café in Ñuñoa, my old neighbourhood in Santiago. That last trip was built around connection: visiting an artist's home studio, reconnecting in person with a woman who had held space for me from afar through my postpartum, and meeting Constanza.

She shared her creative process with me, how she came to work with upcycled textiles, and how her architect's perspective has shaped a vision where everything feels possible. That is what inspires me about her.

Constanza's work moves between technology and craftsmanship, between adornment and wearable art, between discarded fabric and a transformed, valuable jewel.

She navigates the in between.

Her work is evocative and suggestive. You're never quite sure if what you're seeing is paper, fabric, or something organic. The shapes she creates let the textile expand and contract, fold and unfold, and be reborn into a new imaginary.

I invite you into the world of Constanza Bielsa's imaginary.

Explore Constanza Bielsa's collection at Contemporanea