![]() ![]() In 2014, looking for a fresh start he moved to Istanbul where his friends say he loved the lifestyle and culture of artisan of craftsmanship.Since Mandela’s death, Johannesburg has been blanketed in cloud and torrential rain - a sign, according to African culture, of an esteemed elder passing on and being welcomed into the afterlife by his ancestors. As his business grew, he began working in precious materials but remained under-the-radar by choice. In 2006 he moved to New York and began selling his jewelry on the streets of SoHo. “This was especially inspiring to other artists of color.”Ĭastro’s foray into jewelry began in his native Toledo, Ohio when he took courses at Drouhard National Jewelers School. “He was unconstrained by the rules of classically trained jewelers, which freed him to make his art,” says his mentor and friend Meeling Wong, a veteran jewelry executive. “Not always perfect but very intentional.” He approached jewelry as art, self-expression and storytelling, which imbued his pieces with a soulfulness. “They all have his signature touches,” says Nguyen. Surprisingly, the inexhaustible artist made only 35 each year, mostly handcrafted by himself. “He put his heart and soul into every piece.” “He recreated something from the past by bejeweling it and making it his own,” says Everett. His ability to transform antique objects into fabulously creative new works of art is what made him a genius.Įverett compares the way Castro reimagined Victorian porcelain doll pieces into something entirely different similar to what Cartier did with Egyptian antiquities in the 1920s and what Hemmerle does today with antique cameos. ![]() “It gave me permission to make work that is quirky and specific to my taste and personality and have faith that it would still resonate with a larger audience.” She says seeing how his jewelry was rooted in his personality and individual style motivated her own design direction. “He had a big personality, so it’s no surprise that his work also had a lot of personality,” says his friend Lauren Harwell Godfrey, the creator behind Harwell Godfrey. With his dreadlocks, warm smile, and layers of jewelry around his neck and wrists, Castro was a much-loved recognizable figure. Castro was part of the 21 leading Black jewelry designers in Sotheby’s groundbreaking Black & Brilliant exhibition last year curated by Melanie Grant. “Castro’s greatest influence was inspiring others to dream and create, and be true to themselves,” says Frank Everett, Sotheby’s senior vice president. That was his lasting gift to the industry. Beyond his imaginative work, he was known for encouraging and mentoring his friends (and there were many) to pursue their artistic vision and not give into commerciality. When he passed away suddenly at 50 from a heart attack on July 18, Castro left behind an influential legacy. Like his jewelry, Castro was original and unforgettable. There are the signature monkey pendants in jeweled hats and masks with moveable limbs and the vintage porcelain dolls transformed into gothic diamond winged creatures to name a few. The jewelry designs by Terry Castro, known simply at Castro, are wildly creative and instantly recognizable. ![]()
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