Donaji Salgado

“Hello! I am Donají Salgado. In my life it was always instilled in me to get ahead despite the circumstances that arise. Difficult times with my family and the fact of being left without a home due to the economic crisis in our country have not been an obstacle to continue with my dreams and longings.

“Since I was little, I was captivated by the idea of everything you can transform with your hands. My parents, who were dedicated to artisan jewelry, taught me everything you can make by being full of creativity. I started by learning everything about silver filigree, always creating through trial and error, because it is important to play with the ideas that come to your mind when creating to achieve a unique piece.

“With the passage of time and practice, I went from working with silver filigree to gold plate. It is a challenging process, since you have to style it and take care of the finish, and play with the colors and different shapes that will be part of the piece. In the case of my pieces, I always seek to highlight their captivating colored stones. In addition to adding liveliness, they symbolize the joy and color that adorns our Mexican traditions.

“It is gratifying to dedicate oneself to this beautiful work, despite the obstacles one faces when obtaining raw materials such as copper and gold plate. In my region it is complicated, and varies between its different costs. In some situations it becomes an intense process, and I am concerned about being able to continue creating. But I always focus on preserving our family tradition, and doing everything with love and passion, and the rest comes in addition. I would like my pieces to continue to be recognized (not only in our region) for being made 100% by hand; and to provide support through jobs in our community.”