Novo Baroque: Tatiana Cruz
Descripción
Where colonial sacred art becomes contemporary jewelry.
Novo Baroque is a bilingual (Spanish/English) art book presenting the jewelry collection of Quito designer Tatiana Cruz. The collection reinterprets the Spanish American Baroque of the Quito School. Each piece starts from a specific work in Quito’s historic churches: a gilded altarpiece, a painted dome, a Mudéjar coffered ceiling, a cloister arch. That work is then translated into handcrafted 950 silver and natural stones.
Cruz grew up in the workshop of her father, sacred-art restorer Edmundo Cruz, among paintings, sculptures and gold leaf. That childhood, and years of study in Andalusia and Lisbon, shaped a collection that treats jewelry as devotion you can wear. It brings together Indigenous, Moorish and Catholic heritage in one mestizo aesthetic.
Inside the book
- 24 original pieces, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants and rings. Each is photographed against the church detail that inspired it.
- Iconographic readings by art historian Lucía Bayas that connect each jewel to its source in La Merced, San Francisco, Santo Domingo, El Sagrario and La Compañía.
- Full-page architectural photography by Leo de la Torre, covering altarpieces, domes, carved cherubs and gilded ceilings of colonial Quito.
- The stones and their meanings: larimar, amethyst, turquoise, coral, rutilated quartz, fire opal, Andean opal, citrine, pearl and more.
- An introduction by María Aveiga del Pino on the Baroque as an art made for all the senses.
Crafted by hand
The book documents traditional silversmithing techniques: openwork, chasing, hammering on the anvil, lost-wax casting, forging, wire drawing and satin finishing. It also covers hand-cut and faceted stones, made with Quito artisans Javier and Alexandra Guaña and Gabriel León.
Details
- Author: Tatiana Cruz
- Publisher: ELÁNGEL Editor, Quito, Ecuador
- Language: Spanish and English (side-by-side)
- Pages: 96
- Published: October 2025
- Printed by Imprenta Dikapsa, Otavalo
The perfect gift for lovers of jewelry, design, colonial art, Latin American heritage, or the city of Quito.