Alberto Gordillo

Alberto Gordillo He was a visionary in Portuguese jewelry, born in Moura in 1943. His love for goldsmithing blossomed from an early age, at the age of 12, when he began his journey in the art of goldsmithing in his uncle's workshop in Lisbon. Demonstrating an unusual inclination for the time, he began to create extravagant pieces, incorporating new materials, and his first modern jewelry dates back to the late 1950s. Recognized as the pioneer of Modern Portuguese Jewelry, Alberto Gordillo He stood out as a skilled jeweler, but also as a talented sculptor. His unique creativity and skill led him to create pieces that defied traditional conventions, making him the most awarded in the field, frequently mentioned in specialized publications and holding the largest number of exhibitions. From 1965 onwards, he began producing prototypes of his own creations for goldsmith factories, resulting in the mass reproduction of thousands of pieces based on his innovative design. Among his notable works of high jewelry is the famous web necklace, made with 300 grams of platinum and decorated with 150 diamonds, exhibited at the London Diamond Exchange and later exhibited at the National Costume Museum, as part of the collaboration with the Biennale Lisbon94, European Capital of Culture. The year 1974 was remarkable for Alberto Gordillo, as it was when he founded Galeria Tempo in Lisbon, providing a space to display his work and that of other artists. That same year, he presented a retrospective exhibition of his jewelry, highlighting the evolution and uniqueness of his art over time. Alberto Gordillo It was not just limited to jewelry. In 1963, he held his first jewelry exhibition and, later, in 1971, his first sculpture exhibition, demonstrating his artistic versatility. In 2001, a documentary and bibliographic exhibition with around a thousand publications (newspapers, magazines, catalogs and books) was presented at the Municipal Art Gallery of Moura, his hometown. The legacy of Alberto Gordillo is so significant that a Museum of Contemporary Jewelry Alberto Gordillo is under construction in Moura, honoring his contribution to the world of art and jewelry.