Famara is a mystical, magical place, one of the loveliest, most enchanting places on Lanzarote. And its wild, free spirit is perfectly captured by the jewellery of Tania Candela, who creates unique, beautiful items under the name famaraspirit.
Tania started making jewellery at the age of 17, and later attended classes with a renowned goldsmith.
She travelled the world for several years before arriving on Lanzarote at the age of 23. “Those were my golden 90s” she says, but the moment she arrived at Famara, she knew she’d found a home. “I’m originally from Peru, where the coast is mainly desert, and I recognised the landscape immediately.”
In 2018, after years of dedicating more time to motherhood, Tania decided to “bring the creativity back into her life” and studied at the Pancho Lasso Art School in Arrecife, before setting up her workshop in Famara.
Tania uses recycled silver and gold avoiding precious stones and preferring driftwood – “I am aware of the impact that mining has in Peru, and I want my work to have as little of an impact on the planet as possible”, she says.
She finds her inspiration in the exquisite gold jewellery of the Inca Empire in Peru, where crafters used the same lost wax casting methods that Tania employs today. To illustrate, she shows us a beautiful ear of grass, cast in bronze from a living plant she found near her workshop.
The gorgeous piece highlights her main inspiration – the nature that surrounds us. Her collection includes pieces that reflect the sea, such as sea urchins cast in silver, and others that reflect the textures of lichen and cactus fibres.
“Nature is a divine force,” explains Tania. “The sea urchin, for example, is the perfect imprint of a divine formula, and because we are part of nature, our eyes have been recognising this beauty for 30,000 years.”
Tania says “Nature is my cathedral. When I want to seek inspiration and meet God, I go into the wild.” She always returns with new insights and fresh enthusiasms.
Tania also offers other collections, including a Bohemian selection, silver items that reflect ethnic influences and the freedom to travel, as well as a more sleek, minimal contemporary collection.
Tania’s work can be found online at www.famaraspirit.com. She also has stalls at the craft markets at Costa Teguise on Friday evenings, and at Playa Blanca’s Marina Rubicón behind “La Casa Roja” restaurant on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and can be found every Sunday at C/Herrera y Rojas 1 in the big Teguise Market.
Visit my website www.famaraspirit.com
