Novo Baroque: Tatiana Cruz

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.