Story and photos by Meredith Mullins for Eye Prefer ParisIn Paris, there is a story waiting to be discovered down each alleyway, behind each coded gate, and inside even the most innocent looking cafés and shops. You find yourself wishing you had an infinite amount of time to explore every one of these hidden worlds.
When you walk into Joana Cocea’s jam-packed jewelry shop near the Seine in the Village St Paul, you sense there is a story. Even if the artist herself is hidden behind a wall of papers, tools, silver, and beads, you will feel her presence. Everywhere. The walls explode with color and form. Her personality and imagination are in every one of the unique, bold “jeweled” creations.
It may have all started with that treasure chest of jewels that mysteriously appeared in her childhood in Romania. Her father was a film director, her mother a costume designer. One of her father’s films—an outlaw adventure set in the 1800s—had a treasure chest at the center of the action. She was mesmerized.
There were, however, other paths to be traveled before the jewelry passion (and a love of Paris) would take hold.
Her first holiday to Paris was at age 11. “I think I made the decision then to live here,” she says. “But I had to wait. I could not convince my parents to change countries.”
At age 20, she came to Paris for good … making the courageous choice to defect. She had no fear … just hope for the future. She studied at the national theatre school where “you had to do it all,” she says, “from sets to costumes to acting to lighting.” The mastery of all these skills prepared her well for a job as a set designer with the Nice opera and then with Club Med, and later as a textile designer.
Then one day, as she was wandering through a jewelry fair, a force overpowered her (the spell of the ancient treasure chest?). It was decided. A career change at age 42. She quickly taught herself the art of making jewelry, using her theatrical experience and her creative instincts. And without the structure of formal training, she had free reign to break the rules. The result: unlimited possibilities … and beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces. Classical with a touch of craziness.
You would expect to see these pieces at the Grammies or Cannes or Fashion Week (in fact, they have appeared in Elle Magazine). They are not for everyday wear. They are about making an artistic and dramatic statement.
When asked who would best wear her pieces … (I’m thinking Courtney Love, Cher and Sharon Stone … although Janis Joplin would have loved them too.) …she says she can’t choose her clients. They must choose her. She has a loyal following, all looking for something truly original. So, she strives to surprise them each time they return. Even if someone asks her to replicate one of her designs, she will always make it a little differently. “Otherwise it’s too boring for me,” she says.
One of her favorite clients was a 90-year old American woman who said she was no longer able to put her make-up on. But by wearing a dramatic piece of jewelry, she knew people would still SEE her.
From the Mona-Lisa-as-pirate earrings to the cascade of silver flowers that the spirit of Sarah Bernhardt is undoubtedly coveting, Joana’s “25-hour work day” pays off. Those who wear this fine art will definitely be SEEN.
Meet Joana and her haute couture bijoux at the Von d’Art boutique at 5, rue Saint-Paul, 75004 Paris. Open Thursday through Sunday from 12h00 to 19h00. Telephone: 33 (0)6.17.06.60.52. www.vondart.com.
Meredith Mullins is an internationally exhibited American photographer, currently living in Paris. Visit www.meredithmullins.artspan.com to see more of the Paris images. Her award-winning book, In A Paris Moment (click here to order), and her 2009 Paris Calendar published by Browntrout Publishing can be ordered online or in bookstores throughout Paris and the U.S. Original photographs are available directly through the artist. She will be teaching several photography workshops this summer (and a special workshop for teenagers beginning July 20) and is available for private photography instruction/exploration in Paris. Sign up for an information-filled, creative half-day lesson! Contact: meredithmullins@earthlink.net
