It was a Sunday afternoon when I, Fabio Oliveira, a Brazilian dreamer currently based in the cozy welcoming city of Cork, Ireland, opened my mind, let my creativity loose, and Mo Ghrian was born. On that Sunday, the rare Irish sun flashed through my window, reminding me of my home town in Northeast of Brazil, where the sun shines almost every day and the heat pushes me to enjoy the nature that is all around us. Sandy beaches, astonishing, long and beautiful tropical coasts, or even the dry and sharp countryside full of wilderness, it is all there. It made me think of how different it is over here in Ireland, yet the sun keeps pushing me to not only see a remarkable nature around, but also to embrace the new opportunities life gives us. Like the sun illuminates our paths, Mo Ghrian appeared as a real personal light in my life. Mo Ghrian, Irish for “My sun”, has brought a real passion to my days. With the seed of curiosity and the fondness for gemology, I decided to draw my first piece on paper, and from there, I understood the potential. Inevitably, the possibility of creating jewellery was love at first sight.
At the beginning of 2020, I found myself diving into books and all available content about gemology and jewellery. In the same year, I got introduced to the world of silversmithing when attending the jewellery making course at Saint John’s College in Cork City - Ireland, and in parallel, I started a Jewellery design course with the Masters Luciana Preuss, from Brazil. In a very short time many goals were achieved, and at the beginning of 2021, I finally started working from BenchSpace, a shared workshop based in Cork City where amazing and really skilled makers are based.
There is a long and exciting journey ahead, and I am glad that it has already begun, as I have many ideas to share, and much love to give.
The love for gems is what started everything, and it will always be present in our collections. The beauty of what can be informally called “living gems” – when the gem has some visual characteristics that can change according to environmental conditions, such as colour and luminescence - is definitely something I try to integrate into my work when the design requires it. The “one of a kind” designs are developed with carefully chosen gems, then silversmithing technics are applied to create a unique piece. Slow made in the cozy rainy “Emerald Isle”, the handmade pieces are mindfully thought out with the intention of finding a new home, where the love I used to create them will shine.
The inspiration that brings the jewellery I make alive is challenging to describe, since it is a free expression of the caldron of ideas circulating into my mind. Influenced mainly by music and the journeys I make, it is also a mix of the culture around me, my roots and my own experiences. Nowadays, our society is always trying to put things in boxes and definitions, I prefer the idea that my art is a kind of language that my mind finds to express itself, when words are not enough.
A lovely dear friend who designed the background art that is expressed through the webpage is also the person who developed our logo. She is a fine artist, illustrator, tattooist and occasional muralist, also a co-founder of Innative Collective art crew based in Melbourne.
She is a true inspiration for all those who have seen her art.
We support small growers and textiles business of natural colour cotton communities from Northeast Brazil that are assisted by EMBRAPA ALGODÃO (The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) in Campina Grande - PB. Our cloth bags are handmade specially for us from Natural Coloured Cotton, which is a naturally pigmented fibre that grows in shades of green, brown and beige. The cotton plants are also hardy and naturally resistant to pests, eliminating the need for environmentally damaging pesticides and insecticides.
My eternal supporters, who beyond all my expectations, made all of it possible. I just would like to leave here a big thanks, my journey would be nothing without you all. The value of people will always be a key to a kind future.
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