Samonte Cruz
they/them
Nelson, BC, Canada
Samonte Cruz is a disabled, queer, trans, Filipinx goldsmith, muti-media artist & educator, from the Seattle area, currently living in Sinixt Territory. At NYC Jewelry Week in 2023, they were awarded Juror’s Choice for their work featured in the exhibition, [queerphoria]: Adorned Serenity.
“Gold is my ancestral inheritance & this piece is a collaboration with my ancestors that transcends time & space. In pre-colonial Philippines, gold was an abundant resource used to channel our ancestor’s energy, stimulate the goodness of our souls & provide spiritual protection in life, as well as, death.
Many QTBIPOC are not safe in this world; our bodies sites of trauma & alienation. This funerary mask is prayer of peace for the souls we have lost & a spell of protection for the living. It’s a promise of safety & connection, one that will carry us through death to our eternal home; cultivating a peaceful resting place for those who are most vulnerable & transforming the trauma our bodies hold into an everlasting safe space.”
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“My choice to use 22kt yellow gold was more related to my Filipino heritage than my gender or sexuality."
"Eternal Safe Space: Trans-cestors’ Funerary Mask", 22kt yellow gold, Diadem: 10.2" x .8" x .1"; Eye Cover: 5.2" x 1.3" x .2"; Mouth Cover: 2.7" x 1.1" x .08", 2023Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
“I'd say both :)"
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“This piece is modeled after paper thin gold funerary masks discovered throughout the Philippine archipelago. It was formed using repousse and chasing, a technique believed to be developed independent of outside influences.
This work is informed by a year-long research project titled, Filipinx Survivance: Contemporary Cultural Artifacts & Adornment; funded by Canada Council for the Arts, Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance. My goal was to study the history of colonization in the Philippiines, while imagining sacred ancestral objects, highlighting the skill & unique style of ancient Filipinx goldsmiths.
The recovery of gold artifacts from the Philippines over the last 40 years has uncovered the prosperity and achievement of indigenous Filipinos long before Spanish colonization. The spiritual importance of gold in particular, is most evident when looking at the practice of burying their dead with gold funerary masks, in order to protect malevolent spirits from entering the deceased.
It’s my hope that creating contemporary cultural artifacts will help instill a sense of cultural pride for Filipinos living in the diaspora, while encouraging the larger public to learn about and appreciate the lost history and traditions of goldsmithing in the Philippines."