EWE’s “Sincretismo” Collection Includes Stone Seat Modelled on Mexican Birthing Chair
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The Mexico City-based EWE Studio’s latest collection “Sincretismo” subtly draws upon ancient wisdom, rituals, forms, and materials of pre-hispanic cultures to design furniture and homeware using chiseled, sawed and blackened wood, and hand-carved greenEWE’s “Sincretismo” Collection Includes Stone Seat Modelled on Mexican Birthing Chair
The Mexico City-based EWE Studio’s latest collection “Sincretismo” subtly draws upon ancient wisdom, rituals, forms, and materials of pre-hispanic cultures to design furniture and homeware using chiseled, sawed and blackened wood, and hand-carved green marble, and volcanic stone. EWE was established by the Mexican designer Hector Esrawe, Spanish industrial designer Manuel Baño Granell, and Estonian creative director and curator Age Salajõe. It was set up to revive traditional Mexican techniques and materials. The latest collection, as described by EWE, “embraces hand-carved techniques of wood, marble, and stone indigenous to Mexico. Such processes have been practiced for centuries and embody the heritage of the stonemasons and woodworkers with whom EWE collaborates with.” The collection features handmade tables, a chair, a stool, and a lamp. “The objects within the collection are simultaneously functional and sculptural. Their unique shapes and forms are created by the hands of artisans and their careful carving of the natural materials,” states EWE in the project description. The studio further stated that through the skill of the craftsman, it aims to distinguish the works in the collection from everyday objects, bringing them into focus with unique character. Each piece within the “Sincretismo” collection has a common origin, a correlation they interact if they are set together, but they stand out on their own. The collection brings about beauty, contemplation, and steadiness to its surroundings. For instance, featured in the “Sincretismo” collection is the Partera chair, which comprises a long bent seat, set on a pair of legs; and a tall backrest. For the creation of the chair, the studio, as described in the project description, “looked deep into the past and found its inspiration from the shape of a birthing chair commonly used in Mexico, while making their own abstraction.” Each element of the chair is carved with a chisel and a chainsaw from Parota wood to leave rough indents across its surface. The studio then burnt the wood black. “The result is simple yet dramatic,” EWE says. The Partera stool, which also features in the collection, comes in three different materials, which are also charred black. The stool is the same shape as the chair but stripped of its tall back. “Sincretismo” also includes the Copal side table that EWE has cut in four materials with the help of stonemasons and wood carvers. The table is made out of six half spheres that are assembled together. Finishing off the series is the standing Estela Lighting fixtures. A hollowed triangular chunk of Monterrey marble forms the lamp, with the light illuminating the interiors to showcase the roughness of the hand carving. EWE launched the limited-edition “Sincretismo” collection at the Zona Maco art fair, which was held in Mexico City from February 6-10, 2019. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more