Being a third-generation jeweler, Ivan Co always possessed the craftsman’s mindset.

“I was exposed to the jewelry industry at a young age and handled designs and operations within our family jewelry business. My desire to create bolder and more expressive creations has eventually led me to shift to art,” he expressed.

With a Multimedia Arts degree from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, he set off to establish a career as a designer at Hoseki Jewelry Art. His winning design at the International Jewelry Design Competition, organized by the much-lauded South Sea Pearl Consortium, led to a full scholarship at the prestigious Gemological Institute of America Hong Kong.

In 2014, he started his very own Ornamento Jewellery, crafting statement pieces that later on led to a bigger platform for creative expression.

“During a turbulent time in my life, I accepted an offer to find refuge in a temple. This is where I was first exposed to the discipline of meditation. I underwent a process that I would like to call ‘self-reconciliation,’ where I was able to flip a switch in my mind to turn all my negative experiences into positive narratives towards my destiny,” Co opened up.

This year of isolation and reflection catalyzed his decision to finally and fully embrace his artistic nature
— to transcend the limits of fine arts through sculpture-making.

With his decades of practice in metallurgy and jewelry-making, he started to shape intricate and ornate sculptures in 2018. He translated his deep connection with the life force and energy into moving pendulums using semi-precious gems set in aurichalcum, a special metal alloy that the artist himself forged.

“During my quest to create something truly unique, I came across this mythical metal called aurichalcum, mentioned in ancient writings, one of them from the Greek philosopher Plato himself. In his book, Critias, he recounts the testimony of Solon, his great-grandfather of five generations, who claimed to have visited the legendary city of Atlantis and its Temple of Poseidon. In the book, Plato records Solon’s descriptions of the temple’s interior walls, floors, and pillars made with the noble metal,” the metallurgist explained.

“To this day, nobody knows precisely how aurichalcum is made, but based on my studies, I reimagined my own version. My reimagined version is a mix of gold, silver, copper, zinc, and nickel alloys,” he revealed.

He has since exploded into the scene with the paracosmic art style, which he now pioneers and champions.

“Paracosm is a psychological term used to describe a complex and richly detailed imaginary world created over the span of a number of years. It is not really a term being used in the art world. I find myself drawn to this word, as I have built a complex and deeply-felt relationship with my own subjective universe since I was a child. In short, may sarili akong mundo. This, I believe has heavily influenced my direction to pursue the arts. That is why I coined and called myself a paracosmic artist,” he expounded.

In 2022, he was the only Filipino invited to be featured in The Official Platinum Jubilee Edition book to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. The exclusive commemorative book was launched in London in October 2022, where Ivan’s masterpieces were exhibited alongside
royalty-favored brands such as Bovet, Breguet and Llladro.

Today, Ivan continues to evolve as an artist by focusing on innovation and striving to inspire his viewers to pursue higher ideals for a more awakened and purposeful existence. He is currently working on ‘never been seen before’ artworks for his upcoming international shows and is expanding his art’s presence globally.

His best pieces now find a local home in Paracosm, an exhibit at the Conrad Manila Hotel’s Gallery C, which opens its doors to the public on Wednesday, 10 January, and runs until 16 March.

Paracosm is curated by Nes Jardin, consultant of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, the brains behind the highly-successful Of Art and Wine series, which focuses the spotlight on up-and-coming talents and established veterans.