Goldiie is challenging the mainstream through her journey as a self-taught artist defying traditional beauty standards
Interview by Mariana Ferro
Beauty is defined by more than just the aesthetics that please and satisfy the eyes. One's sense of attraction is surely tied to the individual life experiences that originate this sensation. The same sense of uniqueness is shared by Goldiie, a fascinating self-taught artist who takes us on her inspiring creative journey. With her jewellery brand ByGoldiie, she continues to defy modern beauty standards and innovate the industry.
She talked to us about the inspiration for her one-of-a-kind creations as well as the motivation behind her art.
When did you first become interested in the creative industry, specifically in jewellery design?
Ever since I was pretty young, I always liked doing things with my hands. When my parents would have visitors, I was the little kid that used to go to their room to make them something and give it to them. So making things was always an interest of mine. But coming from a Caribbean Island, being a self-taught artist is not seen as a profession. You either become a banker or something else. I've been absorbed in that feeling since a young age. So when I moved to the Netherlands, it really sparked more. I also started to hang out with people who shared similar styling interests.
On that note, where do you get your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from everything around me and mostly from the feeling of nostalgia. I was born in Bonaire, but my mom is from Curacao where I also lived for most of my life. Most of my mom's side of the family is really big. When I would go back to Curacao for vacation, I would visit my aunt who was a florist and made bouquets. During quarantine, I was sitting in my room when I noticed flowers that reminded me of being in my aunt's flower shop and watching her make the bouquets. So it was a very nostalgic feeling. Since we had so much time during Covid, I thought, okay, let me see where the flowers can take me. It's also nice to tie my passion back to my aunt and the women in my family who also inspired a whole collection. After finishing the entire collection, I went back to my definition of contemporary beauty. This helped me reshape and integrate it into my own vision of the flower and how I reconstruct it, especially because flowers represent something so beautiful.
How would you describe the role of your identity, as a black woman, in pursuing a career in the creative sector?
I believe the first step is to always be yourself and not assume that it has to be a male-dominated environment. Even if it is, you have to have the masculine energy and attitude to go get it. I don't let anyone limit me or tell me otherwise. It's all about creating your own space to do your thing. I was just visiting a friend who told me:``At the end of the day, you are Goldiie, and whatever you do will surprise us because you did it.” It's important to recognise the steps you take to create your own space and to define what it means to be a creative, to be an artist, especially since I didn't go to art school. Sometimes it's difficult for me to say: "Oh, I'm an artist". Yet, it takes what you have in you to make it, and it's how you establish yourself through conversations with people that make you an artist. In the same way, as a self-taught artist, I've established my own label of a creative.
Certainly, hoop earrings are symbols of black culture but they have now entered the mainstream. How do you distinguish this from cultural appropriation?
It’s about putting common sense in the common. For example, I won’t wear a hijab because I am not a Muslim and it’s not part of my culture. So for these reasons, it makes no sense for me to mistake these items for trends and wear them around as a fashion piece. Instead of saying "no, you can't wear that," I'd like to educate people through my platform by telling them the story behind it. You need to be aware of what is what; perhaps some people don't know, but I don't always feel the need to remind people. I'd rather be able to show you through my art, say, hoops. I want to compliment my jewellery with a storyline that explains the long lasting generation of black women wearing hoop earrings, why they wore it and what it means for them and culture. Maybe you will get that sense of realisation, maybe you will simply find them beautiful without gaining anything from them. But there is at least room for a conversation; we don't have to agree on everything, but we can respect each other's points of view. So create things that can spark conversations and have a brand that can do the same. I try to use women who are not necessarily the typical model type, but rather average women. So, with my brand ByGoldiie, I'm trying to break a lot of rules and norms, which I already do. And it’s getting me to where I want to go.
You teach a lot of workshops at the Nowhere Production house. Can you tell us more about your workshops and the initiatives behind them?
They asked me to do workshops about two years ago at the start of the Covid period. I love talking to people and teaching. My father always told me to be sceptical about sharing my creations and inspirations, because people would try to make the same. I understand where he’s coming from, but at the same time, the workshops I give are also a source of inspiration for me. It’s not about sharing your emotions, but rather about sharing your work. Workshops are a way for me to experiment with the community and I'm grateful that Nowhere gave me the platform to do it. Eventually in the future, I would like to expand, go to other cities and do the same with my workshops.
What’s the main message that you want to get across through your workshops?
The main message that I want to give is that it's okay to not know something and that it's totally okay to experiment even if nothing comes out of it. Let's say you have some clay and resin and want to experiment with those two products. Through my workshops, I want to emphasise that even if you didn't go to art school, you can still learn and create with what you have. Not everyone has the same circumstances or resources, but you gotta work and experiment with what you have and show me what you can do with it.
