Francesca Vitali is a modern-day alchemist.
The Texas-based designer, who started her career as a chemist, turns everyday papers into jewelry that is both modern and special.
Artist: Grew up in Rome, Italy, where she earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in chemistry. She left home to pursue her PhD at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Afterward, she headed to University of California Irvine to continue her studies. When her husband was offered a position at the University of Rochester, they moved and she started her jewelry career.
Company/studio: Francesca Vitali Paper Jewelry is now based in Dallas. Previously, she lived and worked in Rochester, NY, for 15 years.
In the beginning: Always a maker of some sort (crochet, embroidery, beading), Vitali took a jewelry workshop 20 years ago at the North Carolina-based Penland School of Craft that inspired her to begin making jewelry. In 2008, she started her professional career in jewelry making.
Art & materials: Colorful, clean-lined, geometric jewelry (earrings brooches, pendants) made from folded and woven paper ($75 and up).
The process: Once a piece is completed, the folded paper is coated with acrylic medium to protect it from moisture and everyday use.
“The folding is the foundation of the work,” said Vitali. “It is what gives structure and strength to each piece, which can easily contain 1,000 folds.”
And some pieces, because they are so labor‑intense, can take nearly a month to weave, she added.
The paper: Vitali is not selective about the paper source. Paper can be of high quality or recycled and come in many forms, including magazines, maps, mail, love letters and shopping bags.
“What attracts me to a certain kind (of paper) rather than another are the colors and the story or memory behind it,” said Vitali. “Some of the most fulfilling pieces I have created were made out of my customer’s paper and memories.”
Tools: Tweezers, scissors and wire cutter.
Special commissions: Many including: Jewelry made from:
- A wedding invitation.
- Wallpaper from an old house.
- A map from a trip two friends took together.
“Being asked to make something special is a privilege that I cherish so, so much,” said Vitali.
Recent project: A three‑brooch set inspired by her home-grown orchids as a strong symbol of womanhood.
What’s new: Focusing on making brooches and developing her own weaving technique by expanding it beyond jewelry.
“I’m thinking more about adornment, not necessarily limited to the human body,” said Vitali. “Such as wall art.”
Where to buy: Penland Gallery NC.
Connect:
- Instagram: @francescavitalipaperjewelry
