I am a Graphic, Web and Industrial Designer based in Puerto Vallarta.
Hi, I’m Cynthia Shanti Moralez Garcidueñas. I studied my degree in New York, a city that opened me the doors to expand my visual skills, from digital graphics to glass pieces. Currently, I am a freelance web designer and the Industrial Designer for Nirvana Beads, a New York based company that imports beads and buttons from the Czech Republic.
WHAT I DO
Photography of beads and buttons by Anne Kurz
My Specialty: Czech Glass Bead and Button Design
Most of my current work is designing small glass beads and buttons that are used for jewelry. I choose the shape, the color of the glass, the cuts and coatings that will be applied to these little beads or buttons. These designs are sent to factories in the Czech Republic and once manufactured, they are sent to the United States where they are mainly sold.
For almost 15 years I have learned all the codes for glass and coating, secrets and history of a trade that dates back to the 1800s. It is a very unusual job for a Mexican, few people outside of the Czech Republic do what I do.
Designing these small objects is not easy, I send dozens of designs to production every year. At this point, I have created more than 7,000 products, and even then, I have to keep innovating and using combinations that have not been used before, which is quite a challenge!
Website Designs
I specialize in building web pages using WordPress, which is a very noble and practical platform for people who want to manage their own pages. WordPress allows you to create pages, blogs, portfolios, photo albums, forums, calendars, events, etc. which once installed are relatively easy to update and manage.
MY CREATIONS IN CZECH GLASS
Stories that give life flavor: My great-uncle was Feliciano Béjar, a famous sculptor
Feliciano Béjar was a Mexican sculptor known for his Magiscopios, he was the brother of my paternal grandmother. His works have been exhibited in museums and art galleries in Mexico, the United States and in several European countries. One of the main materials he used was glass, the same material which I work with. Unfortunately I did not meet him, but his presence in my family history gave my rare profession all meaning. We both grew up artistically in New York, and without knowing him in life, I can feel how his influence was already running through my blood. When one inquires into family history, many times it leads us to know us more deeply, and other times you discover that in very unusual ways, you are continuing a path that one of your ancestors had already traced.
In 2014 I made a special trip from New York to Mexico City with the intention of seeing a magiscope for the first time at the museum of modern art. To my disappointment, the piece on display was touring the country. Several months passed and one day walking down the main street of Hudson NY, I found some magiscopes! They were literally 3 blocks from my house! I was so happy that I told everyone in the gallery that Feliciano Béjar was my great-uncle.
In this photo I am with two original magiscopios in an art gallery in Puerto Vallarta. I emphasize that they were “original” because I realized that these sculptures are so popular that many artists have copied their style. If you visit Puerto Vallarta or San Miguel de Allende you will see many copies in art galleries, originals are harder to find.
