Before becoming a jeweler, Alec Niño was a nurse. The delicate care for others had been the driving force behind choosing this demanding profession, and for many years, he practiced what he considered his calling. However, the healthcare crisis in Colombia made him question whether this was truly the path he wanted to dedicate his life to.

In this space of uncertainty, his friends encouraged him to explore new horizons. One friend in particular, who worked with wood, introduced him to the idea of using his hands for something other than medicine, sparking a curiosity within him. This friend encouraged Alec to visit the Santo Domingo School of Arts and Crafts, suggesting he might discover something there that would rekindle the joy he felt was slipping away. One day, Alec made his way to the school. But it wasn’t the wood that captivated him; it was silverwork. The moment he saw those pieces, he felt an immediate attraction.

That said, it wasn’t as simple as closing his eyes and waking up in a new reality. He continued working as a nurse, but this time, he combined it with his studies in silverwork at the School and jewelry-making at Sena. He didn’t mind having his days completely booked because he was happy. Moreover, his colleagues at the hospital found out he was making jewelry and began to place orders with him. There was no turning back, and an unfortunate event sealed his fate: a patient assaulted him.

That was when he decided to fully commit to jewelry-making, but first, he needed to find his voice and what he wanted to express with his hands. He began to explore this through art. By a twist of fate, his colleague Andrés Rodríguez from Crisol invited him to participate in a jewelry exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá. For this, he was asked to work with a Finnish artist on the curatorship. She asked him why he did what he did, what inspired him, and other questions he hadn’t really considered, at least not in that way. So he began searching for the concept behind his work. He took a walk in the La Conejera wetland near his mother’s house in Niza neighborhood, hoping to clarify his thoughts amidst nature. It was there, in the forest, that he found the answers. He was fascinated by the shapes of fungi and, studying them, he discovered an infinite world that opened up his creative horizons.

He created a collection based on mycelium called “”Fungus,”” which excited him to continue down that path. He loved the inspiration behind it but didn’t want to create anything that was too literal, so he kept exploring organic forms that revealed the fantastic textures of nature. In his search, he remembered that knitting had been done in his home—his grandmother used to knit—so he asked his mother to teach him. This connection allowed him to merge what he had been learning with Peruvian knitting, a technique using metal threads similar to crochet. And so he found himself knitting with silver, envisioning delicate weaves that represented the mineral skins of the forest, creating necklaces, bracelets, or striking earrings that covered the entire ear. Birds also entered his inspiration—blue and yellow waterfowl, the mottled owl, blackbirds, and the Bogotá monjita. Dandelions and flowers, like the daisy seemingly blooming right in front of him, also caught his eye. He is bold and is drawn to pieces that demand attention. After all, if the aim is to showcase beauty, it should be seen, and thus he gave scale to his creations.

Additionally, he has explored enameling metals to create iridescent effects, much like light does with flowers and plants. He oxidizes the metal to achieve captivating and beautiful colors. His jewelry invites the wearer to claim it, blurring the lines between art and craftsmanship. In this way, he expresses his gratitude to silver for allowing him to reclaim his identity and embrace his true vocation.