NOVICA Artisan Milagros Cacho
Milagros Cacho
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“My name is Milagros Cacho Urteaga and I was born in Cajamarca. Thanks to my father, I got interested in replacing classic American car parts. It’s where I picked up my passion for mechanics together with classic cars. I majored in engineering at a university in Lima. One day, the phone rang and I learned my father, whom I loved so much, had died. That day, an era ended and I returned to Cajamarca to take care of my father’s matters.
“I fell in love, and so my greatest creation was born, my son Jose Carlos. He became my inspiration, my motor and he wakened in me a desire to get ahead. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to overcome my father’s loss and a few years later, my dear mother’s death. They’re up in heaven and are our protectors and guardian angels.
“The years passed, and I realized what I was doing wasn’t really for me. I needed to do something with my hands. I started making embroidered pictures, which took two months to complete, and three repoussé pictures a day. I received orders from my friends who wanted to decorate their homes, but this didn’t fulfill me, since it was just for fun. My friend told me about a jewelry school, encouraging me to go and see if I liked it. I went and I took a course and I loved the fact that one can transform metal into what one wants. The only limits are the techniques used and I keep training because there are so many things to learn and I love that. I made many good friends there with whom I swapped techniques. We formed an association to help support each other with large-scale projects, since we more or less have the same abilities and don’t want to lose our identity. This is how I started my journey of discovery into the artistry of jewelry making.
“My dreams and future plans are to see my designs on the best runways in the world. My short-term goals are to have my creations sold in small boutiques in New York, Los Angeles and other cities.
“I came to be interested in this art because of the transformation I was able to achieve, embodying my feelings, memories, aspirations and desires in a piece that starts off as small metal bits that you can transforms into something you designed and reflects you. The best part is being able to mix my old passion of designing schemes with designing jewelry in 3D.
“To master this art, I had to develop my patience, which I never had before. I am very impatient and want things done yesterday, but this art teaches that ability. When you like something, you dedicate the necessary time. My creations are made of silver, but I like to use alternative materials like wood, leather, natural stones, cork, copper and bronze. I don’t use gold because it doesn’t emit anything, as opposed to silver, which too, emits a pure, clean energy.
“What I most enjoy about my art is that the people who see a piece I created gain a story of my inspiration: the love for my son, the history of my people that surrounds me with every step I take, nature, memories, sensations, friendship, nostalgia for lost loved ones.
“Working on my own has been hard because I don’t even have a window for people to see my creations. For now, I’m working alone, but the qualities I seek in the people with whom I work is that they dominate this art and yet be always willing to learn new things. No one knows everything and there is always room for improvement. One of the most wonderful things is to experiment and learn.”