From Cusco to Kolding: Simona gains new perspectives on materials and accessory design
Simona Shakira Mamani Jensen is a third-year accessory design student at Kolding School of Design. During the summer of 2026, she spent three weeks in Cusco, Peru, including a two-week placement with the goldsmith Javier.
She applied for Queen Margrethe’s Jubilee Travel Grant to immerse herself in metalwork within a very different professional and cultural setting. Her choice of Peru was also deeply personal. Simona’s father is Peruvian, and Peruvian culture has been part of her upbringing.
- Since starting at the school, I have become increasingly curious about how I can bring my South American heritage into my design work. Going there and learning directly from the source simply made the most sense, she says.
New techniques in silver
During her placement, Simona worked primarily with 950 silver. She was already familiar with soldering and rolling metal, but the stay gave her the opportunity to develop these skills using a different material and working with methods that were new to her.
Among other things, she learnt how to melt silver manually using a gas torch and then work the material into either wire or sheet silver.
One of her specific aims was to learn the incrustado technique, in which small pieces of materials such as stone and coral are set into silver. Simona carried out all the silverwork herself, while the very thin pieces of stone and coral were cut by a specialist.
She also created a series of pieces inspired by Peruvian nature and culture: a pair of earrings based on the cantua, Peru’s national flower, a ring inspired by stone textures, and pendants referencing the Temple of the Moon and the Andean cross.
About Queen Margrethe’s Jubilee Travel Grant
Queen Margrethe’s Jubilee Travel Grant is a travel grant of up to DKK 25,000 for accessory design students at Kolding School of Design.
The grant supports stays outside Europe that are relevant to the field of accessory design. It may, for example, be used to take part in exhibitions, undertake educational journeys or explore accessory design in other cultures.
The grant was established following a donation from Georg Jensen to the Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik Foundation in 2022. The Foundation subsequently passed the funds on to Kolding School of Design.
A different pace
But it was not only new craft skills that Simona brought home with her. Experiencing a different culture and pace of work also gave her a new perspective on her own design process.
- The pace in Denmark is so fast, and I have often felt as though I could never quite keep up. In Peru, I experienced a greater sense of calm. People took things as they came, and if something went wrong with a soldering job, it was not the end of the world. There was not the same sense of pressure, she says.
That made it easier for her to let go of some of her need for control – something she hopes to hold on to.
- I have realised that when I let go a little more, my curiosity comes back. I think that is important both for experiencing life more deeply and for creating better, more vibrant design.
Closer to her Peruvian heritage
The journey also gave Simona an opportunity to reconnect with a culture she knew from childhood, but could now observe through both an adult and a professional lens.
She began to notice colours, materials, forms and aspects of everyday culture in new ways, giving her a more tangible foundation for drawing on her Peruvian heritage in future projects.
- I can now recognise more clearly what characterises the culture – the colours, the use of materials and the approach to everyday life. It means I can work with it more consciously, and it has given me a great deal of inspiration.
Working with silver has also made her more curious about combining different materials.
- I am less hesitant about combining materials when it makes sense. It has already given me ideas for new combinations that I am looking forward to exploring further.
