Perspectives from Gallerists. Interview with Tereza Seabra from Galeria Tereza Seabra

Established in 1993 in Lisbon, Tereza Seabra Gallery has long been a significant venue for contemporary jewellery exhibitions. However, the gallery's origins date back to 1983 when it was first launched as Artefacto3, the first art jewellery gallery and workshop in Portugal.

The driving force behind this gallery is Tereza Seabra, a key figure in the contemporary jewellery world. With a career encompassing roles as an artist, educator, and curator, she has played an essential role in shaping the Portuguese jewellery landscape. Seabra’s contributions include co-founding the first art jewellery gallery in the country and leading the development of the jewellery department in Lisbon at Ar.Co (Center for Art and Visual Communication) in 1978.

Her gallery not only provides a platform for well-established artists but also presents emerging talents, thereby fostering both local and international dialogue within the art jewellery community.

In this interview, Thereza shares her insights on her career journey and her vision of the growth and current state of the contemporary jewellery scene in Portugal and beyond.


In reading various articles and interviews about you, I’ve realised that, in addition to being an artist and gallery owner, you have significantly contributed to the promotion and education of contemporary jewellery, both in Portugal and beyond. Could you share your definition of jewellery and what motivates you to defend this medium and its spread?
A jewel is a strong sign that defines your personality. My motivation to make and promote contemporary jewellery is based on the endless imagination of each artist.


Could you tell us about the gallery? How was it established, and what changes has it undergone over time? Was it primarily a space for exhibitions, work, or both?
The gallery was founded in 1983 as a work and exhibition space to give visibility to the project of the new Jewellery Department opened at Ar.Co School five years before. It was the first art school to include this craft as an independent department in Portugal, and of course, a new promotional space was needed.


Tereza Seabra allery Space. Photo by Eduardo Sousa Ribeiro.



Lisbon is home of two contemporary, internationally renowned jewellery galleries, the active Pin Association, and schools like Ar.Co and ESAD and a growing biennale. Is there a reason why Portugal is so dynamic in promoting a new perspective on jewellery?
All these initiatives together strongly contribute to this dynamic. I must say that Cristina Filipe's book Contemporary Jewellery in Portugal launched in 2019 with AJF support, and the first Susan Beech Mid-Carreer Artist Grant was a very important trigger to the international visibility of the Portuguese jewellery scene. PIN – the Portuguese contemporary jewellery association – is getting increasingly active under the direction of Marta Costa Reis and the Jewellery Department at Ar.Co, under the coordination of Catarina Silva, is also flourishing, with a growing number of students getting recognised abroad. It’s a collaborative work between all these parts and the galleries, finally proving that the Portuguese art jewellery scene is dynamic and healthy!


This year, Lisbon hosted its second Lisbon Contemporary Jewellery Biennial, addressing societal, historical, and political themes. Have these events increased the visibility of art jewellery in Portugal and beyond? Have you noticed a different audience during these events compared to usual periods?
Of course, these events increase visibility, especially this edition, which enjoyed good media coverage. We received many visitors from all around the world and new local ones. But there is a lot to do yet, and as long as there is no public collection in a museum, these are only residual impulses that will not definitively hold the attention of the national public.


Does Portugal support establishments that promote arts and crafts galleries or international events that support this field?
Unfortunately, Portugal is a country that has yet to realise the importance of supporting the arts in general as an engine motor for growth. There is support, but little of it.

Fortunately, PIN has managed to get financial support from the state to organise the biennial, but again, these are residual moments. Crafts are very much associated with an art form that is still very modestly open to a contemporary language, which doesn’t make it easy to access government applications. However, with the dedication of all interested parties and the incessant work that has been done, this barrier will certainly be overcome.


Contemporary jewellery is quite a niche field, but I noticed you are also involved in developing a collection for the MUDE Museum. Do you collaborate with other institutions or galleries? Do you sometimes engage in cross-disciplinary collaborations?
For many years, I have been collecting jewellery from Portuguese and international artists. My belief in the importance of having a public collection in a museum led me to make the decision to donate my collection to a museum that not only wanted to display it permanently but also had the intention in its programme to continue it with new acquisitions.

MUDE (Design Museum) has finally shown interest in hosting this collection, and we are now working on this project, which hopefully will happen soon, representing the first public collection of Contemporary Jewellery in a Portuguese museum. This will, of course, contribute to attracting a wider audience and understanding of the field.

Regarding cross-disciplinary collaborations, which I believe are fundamental to developing a more diverse language, I have presented exhibitions at my gallery in which artists from other disciplines are invited to focus on contemporary jewellery. The first event was in 1993 with the exhibition Ilegítimos (Illegitimate) at the old gallery (Artefacto3), still run by me, Paula Crespo and Alexandra Serpa Pimentel. Since then, other projects have taken place, and I am sure there will be many more.


Tereza Seabra Gallery Space. Photo by Eduardo Sousa Ribeiro.
Carla Castiajo. Pendants: The Body of God I and The Body of God II, 2021.



As an artist who founded the Jewelry Department at Ar.Co in 1978 and taught until 2004, as well as a curator and jury member, do you think your experience as an artist has influenced your work as a gallery owner? Conversely, has running the gallery shaped your artistic perspective?
My experience teaching and running the Jewellery Department at Ar.Co, co-founding the first gallery in Portugal specialised in the field, and my artistic work constitutes an indivisible whole. All of them have shaped my career.


How do you organise your time between organisation and curation, compared to communication, in-gallery and online sales, and network building?
All these years working in the field of Contemporary Jewellery (and that’s about 50 now) as a teacher, gallery owner and artist have created a network of contacts and deep friendships at national and international levels in a very organic way. Visiting other schools and fairs worldwide has always been a fundamental investment for these relationships to become solid and fruitful over time.

In addition, I could always count on the support of my assistants for the more bureaucratic and communication work inherent in this type of organisation. I can also add that I have always been a very organised person and a good task coordinator.


Could you share your perspective on the current contemporary jewellery scene?
It’s difficult to predict the future of Contemporary Jewellery, as it has always been a niche market. Some galleries are closing for diverse reasons, and collectors worldwide are getting older, but hopefully, this makes room for new people and new projects in a field that needs to be rethought for a more promising future. The current outlook is not bright, but Contemporary Jewellery will follow its path.


How do you envision the future of Tereza Seabra Gallery?
This is a good question. It’s up to the gods to decide when to leave; for now, I am still here for the best!


Tereza Seabra Gallery Space. Photo by Eduardo Sousa Ribeiro.
From left to right: Tereza Seabra. Necklace: Ritus #5. 2020 and a brooch: Untitled, 2021. Bernhard Schobinger: Necklace for Erica Bloom. 2018. Hörnliring, 1991 and Insektenring, 1993.



Regarding the secondary market, how do you, as a gallerist active in both markets, contribute to it? Do you frequently attend auctions? What are your thoughts on last July's Veritas First Auction in Lisbon?
I don’t usually follow contemporary jewellery auctions very closely, but I did follow the one held by Veritas in Lisbon, organised by Cristina Filipe. This was an important moment in the integration of contemporary jewellery into the so-called secondary market in Portugal.

I confess to having some reservations about this type of market, where the work of artists and gallery owners is rarely recognised. In most cases, we have works by living artists that are represented by galleries and museums, with prices that plummet and seriously devalue their work. This is a serious fight that needs to be fought globally. Fortunately, Cristina Filipe is a person who works very seriously and is deeply committed to the sector, and in this auction, the prices of artists and galleries were respected, and the works were sold at fair prices for all parties concerned. It was definitely an excellent example of how the secondary market should work, not disadvantaging any of the interested parties.

It should also be noted that this auction was an excellent barometer of what the public (at least the Portuguese one) is looking for when it comes to contemporary jewellery. Many pieces were sold, but with the common denominator that they almost all included or were entirely made of precious metals. This means that there is still a lot of work to be done in educating and informing the public about a branch that wants to talk about jewellery but in a contemporary language, which is often disconnected from the traditional values of this discipline.
But overall, this was a brilliant initiative with good results and food for thought for the future.


What are the highlights planned for Tereza Seabra Gallery next year?
The plans for 2025 are not yet fully finalised, so I’d rather not divulge them just yet. However, I can guarantee that it will be a very active year regarding projects and exhibitions, so stay tuned!

To complement the gallery’s programme, I will return to India to continue researching jewellery and worship artefacts from this rich and diverse country.