"Jewels of the Amazon" celebrates sustainability and knowledge at the SESI Creative Industry House.
- Mayra Leal
- Nov 4
- 3 min read
In each jewel, a story is told. Narratives about family, childhood, and personal memories intertwine with stories of sustainability, respect for nature, and love for all that comes from it. There are 14 original pieces, made by artisans from various regions of Pará, after specialized training and technical consulting. The exhibition “Jewels of the Amazon” officially opened this Tuesday, the 4th, at Casa SESI Indústria Criativa. The project is a realization of the Instituto Elabora Social, sponsored by Hydro and with institutional support from the FIEPA System, Jornada COP+, Ebata, and Aimex.
Fish scales, açaí pits, seeds, ceramics, and regional fibers, among other materials from the Amazonian biodiversity, make up the pieces. All of this was incorporated into sustainably managed forest wood, provided by Ebata Produtos Florestais, from the Association of Wood Industries of the State of Pará; and recycled aluminum from scrap yards, in partnership with Hydro.
The executive vice-president of FIEPA and the COP+ Journey, Marcella Novaes, highlighted how the project works on two essential pillars of the Journey: socio-bioeconomy and the circular economy. “The exhibition shows that the industry has sustainability as its foundation. And looking at the pieces and learning a little about the history of the creative artisans, it's impossible not to be moved. And that's what we expect when we have such a beautiful space, the SESI Creative Industry House,” she pointed out.
Combining design, sustainability, and the wisdom of the forest, the pieces were created starting from the theme "Dreams." "Dreams that repeat themselves, that connect us to our origins, our affections, and sometimes also to our fears. And today, more than ever, this theme is materialized, because we are celebrating a dream transformed into reality," highlighted Nathalie Kuperman, director of the Elabora Social Institute.
The exhibition will showcase the work of local artists and the cultural and natural richness of the Amazon during COP30. Altairley Mendonça, Ana Lucia Everdosa, Bianca Camino, Bruna Sampaio, Josane Santos, Joyce Adriele, Luciene Farias, Maria Aparecida Matos, Monica Moraes, Neuciane Pereira, Nilma Arraes, Patrícia Pamplona, Selma Montenegro, and Tânia Lúcia Amaral are the artisans participating in the project. Artist Altairley Mendonça created the necklace “Morada da Felicidade” (Abode of Happiness), made with miriti fiber, açaí seed, wood, coconut shell, and aluminum. The piece was inspired by a special place. “My house, where I spent my childhood, where I learned to make the pieces, where I learned techniques that I use in my pieces today,” the artist explained.
Production of the collection began in July, when the artisans participated in training provided by the Elabora Social Institute at SENAI Getúlio Vargas. “It was a very enriching experience. First, it was about meeting wonderful women, women with a wealth of knowledge. It was an exchange of knowledge, stories, and dreams, where we not only learned about the Amazon and bio-jewelry, but we also learned about marketing, how to photograph our work. And this is just the beginning; we will have our work more recognized and publicized,” recalled Maria Aparecida, one of the artists in the project.
The exhibition will be open to the public until November 28th, Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm, and on the municipal holiday (6th and 7th) until 1 pm, always with free admission. In addition, the project has partnered with four points of sale in Belém so that the artists can present and sell their original creations: the shops of the Museum of the Amazon, the Museum of Sacred Art, Ygarapé, and the Sebrae space in the Green Zone, the official space of COP30.
SESI Creative Industry House
Located on Brás de Aguiar Avenue, the SESI Creative Industry House is a new space for culture, innovation, and creativity. After a meticulous restoration process that revealed nine layers of paint, original stained glass windows, and hardwood floors, the House is now part of the Brazilian Industry Hub, a convergence point for national industry during COP30. The project is the result of a partnership between the Federation of Industries of the State of Pará (FIEPA System), through the Social Service of Industry (SESI), with the support of the National Council of SESI and the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).
In its debut, in addition to the "Jewels of the Amazon" project, the House also presents three other simultaneous exhibitions to the public: the "SESI House" exhibition, which shows the history of the property; the immersive exhibition "Im-PARÁ-veis," directed by the Pará-born visual artist Roberta Carvalho; and the "Upcycling SENAI" exhibition, carried out through a partnership with the Federal Revenue Service and SENAI Pará, dedicated to the circular economy and waste reduction.
