They call me Moni, and…
I live in the south of France, in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc mountains. Art and nature are the two pillars that support my life.
My journey with fire and tools began in 1989, with a blacksmithing course at the École des Arts et Métiers in Granada. Over time, my obsession with detail led me from the anvil and hammer to the precision of jewelry-making—a craft I complement with lapidary work. I source some of the stones for my pieces myself—finding them in the mountains, in quarries, or in abandoned mines—while obtaining the rest from sustainable sources. In my workshop, I transform, shape, and polish these stones before setting them in silver, creating unique pieces that evoke the soul of the places from which they came.
Create to exist, exist to create
Keeping my hands and mind active is a truly vital form of therapy. My craft is rooted in metal, yet this same foundation compels me to explore—as a secondary pursuit—other disciplines involving the earth and botany, which nourish my imagination and complete my essence.
I run eco-print workshops and I have my own pottery corner with a self-built propane oven where, after training with Nómada Cerámica, I model whistling vases. In this same peripheral lineage, I am part of Majaras, a participatory and sensory theater company alongside Paola Rispo, Lorena Gudiña and Gina Teixidor (host of the Can Serrat artistic residency). Together we research the heretical movements of the Middle Ages and the birth of the Inquisition, and we publish handmade fanzines in screen printing and engraving with Cexsia.tattxx and Naiara Striano. Currently, I am working with Naiara and Paola on a herbarium in the form of a tarot, made using the linocut technique.
To share is to live
My workspace is not a closed-off environment. I host residencies and individual retreats for those who wish to learn my craft—jewelry making and lapidary work—or who simply need a peaceful corner of nature in which to create. Those who come share in my daily life: not only the time spent in the workshop, but also hikes in search of stones and the enjoyment of local cuisine. Conversation and sharing are vital parts of who I am; I cannot imagine life without community.
Heart on Wheels
My soul is nomadic, and I have always loved to be on the move. I take part in fairs and exhibitions, and during the summer season, I relocate my jewelry workshop to the medieval encampment at the Cité de Carcassonne. The tourist office provides me with a space there, where I give demonstrations using antique tools, crafting my jewelry live in front of the public.
My dream? To live in a caravan, so I can keep moving and creating at a snail’s pace.