Two female looking at a table with jewellery, displayed on top of rocks. One of them is laughing

A beautiful evening: Contemporanea's first Pop-Up Shop

August 20, 2025 Daniela Fuenzalida

On Saturday evening, we came together to celebrate, to honour and acknowledge the work of artists and creatives. Contemporanea's first Pop-Up Shop at the Wellington Apothecary was such a special, heartfelt event.

After the first guests arrived and everyone began settling in, wandering with their eyes and hands through the jewellery pieces, as if a sea of beauty was washing up on the shore, full of carefully chosen rocks and softly lit sandy fabrics, I gathered my courage and stepped forward to speak. I wanted to share what Contemporanea means to me.

I thanked the Wellington Apothecary for having us and welcoming us into their space. When I say us, I don’t just mean myself speaking in plural, as many small business owners do. I mean all of us coming together for an evening of beauty, connection, and stories. I mean all the artists who are present here with us through their work, their mahi toi, their art.

Contemporanea was born out of a need to find purpose. A desire to explore how to connect creativity and creative living with art, craft, and the handmade. And also, to work and connect with people: empowering, acknowledging, sharing their stories, bringing their work, creativity, and talent to the public eye. Giving them the space and recognition they deserve, while supporting their livelihood.

And to bring their stories to life: from the way a piece was born, to how it was chosen, the story behind the artist, and the journey each piece took to get here.

At Contemporanea, you'll find incredible jewellery pieces by female artists from Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Italy, Chile, and Australia.

Once again, thank you to the Wellington Apothecary and their beautiful team for welcoming us. Thank you to my family, Diego and Eloy, for their endless support and for believing in me. Thank you to my friends, my chosen family, the ones who joined me on the evening, and the ones who couldn’t make it, for their constant support, thoughts, and testimonials, and for continuing to encourage me in this venture.

And a massive thank you to Bridget Kelly for coming and sharing her music with us on the evening ✨