About us

Portrait of a dark long hair female with Latin American features, facing the camera
I'm Dani (Daniela), the founder of 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗮, a project that I'm really passionate about and that is really close to my heart.
I'm originally from Chile and I migrated in 2015. After studying a BA(Hons) in Fine Arts, I decided to learn jewellery making with Paola Raggo Jewellery for 1.5 years. This was around 2006-2008.
In between that, I was working for a non-for-profit organisation that pursued to promote and value traditional handicraft from all over the country. I had been exposed to handicraft and artisan work my entire life, so this job was a dream! I learnt about the value handmade objects and their makers have, how to transmit the importance of this work in our contemporary society, how to preserve and promote the transmission of the labour from generation to generation, organising workshops, exhibitions and speaking at conferences. I was there for 5 years and it shaped the way I see this intangible heritage as a true taonga/treasures.
Fast forward to more recent times, after years of not getting my hands back in the metal and clay work, I found myself longing for a creative outlet, all that motherhood had brought up and bubbled up to the surface.
Here is when a trip overseas to visit our family in Spain, got me really inspired! To see all these wahine/women working in their craft, creating pieces, developing their skills and giving space to their creativity were key for me to ignite my inner creative self.
And on our way back, after conversations with my partner and a dear friend, I started thinking and envisioning a platform, a place where amazing jewellery, handcrafted by women from different parts of the globe could be showcased and sold, here in Aotearoa NZ (and who knows... Aotearoa is only the start!). And that at some point could also be the place for my own work too.
A place where amazing ornaments, handcrafted by women from different parts of the globe can be showcased and sold in Aotearoa NZ. A place where different, diverse and unique contemporary jewellery can be found. A place where wearable art meets statement pieces, together with day-to-day wearable treasures.
Here is what 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗮 is about. Here is to starting this next chapter!