Alexandra Marchina
What’s your name and where are you from/based?
My name is Alexandra Marchina. I was born in Mexico, but studied fashion design in Milan, and now my studio is based back in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Can you describe your practice in a few words?
I create jewelry using silver, gold, and natural gemstones. Each piece reflects how I see the world translating thoughts and emotions into tangible form. When I create, I feel like I become a medium too, a material through which a bigger energy can express itself.
You grew up in Mexico surrounded by a multitude of inspiration, how do you feel this fed into your design aesthetic?
Growing up in Mexico made me value craftsmanship and the artistry behind handmade work, we have some of the most skilled artisans in the world. It also connected me to a more spiritual and esoteric side of life. Mexico has a deep relationship with mysticism, spirituality, energy, and symbolism. That’s where a part of my creative language comes from.
Your aunt introduced you to painting and sculpture, later you studied fashion design — how do those early mediums influence your jewelry?
Painting taught me to express emotion through color. Sculpture trained my hands it gave me freedom to distort, exaggerate, and explore form. Fashion helped me understand how an object lives with the body. All three shaped the way I design.
You mention you don’t have a single source of inspiration, that it can come from anywhere. What’s an unexpected source that’s inspired you in a way you would have never seen coming?
I was in my studio, not really looking for inspiration, just holding a feather I’d collected, and I was on my phone, it slipped and landed across my hand in a very specific way and I knew instantly that it had to become a ring. It was a small accident, but it completely shaped the piece.
You’ve said you’re drawn to surrealism because it removes the boxes of what something “should” look like. What kind of freedom does that give you? Does this guide you beyond work?
I like to give a small twist to ordinary things to make you look at them differently. I’m a very visual person, and surrealism frees my mind in a way that allows me to follow instinct over logic.
How present is nature in your work?
Always. Nature is the most creative artist. It’s present not only in form but in the materials I use I work only with natural gemstones. I believe each one carries its own energy, and that connection gives the pieces life.
The stones in your pieces feel intentional. Do they hold a particular meaning for you?
I believe each gemstone carries its own personality and vibration they’re like the DNA of the earth. Being able to have that adorn your body is special. The cut is mostly aesthetic, but what truly matters to me is the stone’s natural character and energy.
Is there a place you love returning to that always reconnects you to yourself?
It’s more of a state of mind than a place. Music helps me reach that space to reconnect with myself.
If you could expand Marchina beyond jewelry, into another medium, what could it be?
I would like to create furniture, objects, and clothes. I would love to do things on a bigger scale.
Where can people find you?
People can find me through my website marchinabrand.com and Instagram @marchina.
