Before starting this blog up it was pointed out to me that not many people know who I actually am or what I do, or where I come from, other than that one Instagram post I made a while back (last year I think) where I give the jist of the story, but don’t go much into detail, so I figured a formal introduction would be in order:
Well, first of all - hi there!
My name, as some of you probably know, is Marie Gade and I’m a Finnish designer and jewellery maker living in Denmark with my Danish husband and our 1,5-year old son. I was born and raised in the lush archipelago of southern Finland, living out my childhood on a dreamy little island, surrounded by dense forest, water, beaches and wildlife. I am a middle-child, and the only daughter to two loving parents who defied the norm and chose to raise their children in a remote but priceless countryside location. I am forever indebted to them for giving us kids the most amazing, barefoot and sun-kissed childhood one could only dream of. We are so lucky and grateful.
A decision, that we for sure questioned as rebelling teenagers, but now appreciate and understand as adults and parents ourselves. Some of my earliest memories from my childhood are going to day care at a small local farm, where the sister of the farmer (who sadly is no longer with us) cared for us and let us play in the barns with all the animals. I remember spending the mornings collecting freshly laid, still warm eggs while chasing the chickens and playing in the hay-filled loft with newborn kittens on a warm summer’s day. I swear, sometimes I can still smell that sweet, innocent scent of kittens and warm hay when I think back hard enough. I think this, undoubtedly, is where my love for nature and the simple life started. Some days we used to lead the cows to pasture with the farmer himself, each of us (we were maybe 5 kids in total) carrying a skinny branch to keep help direct them, feeling very important. Other days, we got to observe him milking them and later all have a sip from the lukewarm milk.
These memories are my base for what I am trying to do with my jewellery. I want to preserve what to me, is sacred, and worth saving for the children of the future to be able to experience. One could say, I live to preserve the future. Which can sound a little backwards, but I hope it makes sense once I unravel more about what I do and how I go about it.
(Photo credit: Kåre Gade)
xx Marie
