Andreu Carulla, whose design studio’s UK office is based at Custom Lane and headed up by Adam Johnson, travelled to Taxco, Mexico for a residency working with local silversmiths as part of this year’s Mexico Design Week, at the invitation of Barcelona Centre de Disseny.
In collaboration with skilled makers from the local area, Andreu designed and made a series of three objects reinterpreting traditional oil lamps.
Using “oro de los pobres”, or fool’s gold (pyrite), Andreu and the silversmiths created finished pieces that, despite their gold appearance, are fashioned from an incredibly common material. This is intended to reflect the humble and utilitarian roots of the object itself.
Andreu also focused on simple geometry for these pieces, using a semi-circular handle as a wick holder and a cylindrical body to hold the oil. The resulting “family” of three lamps were also designed to be proportionally inverse.
I have a great interest in salvaging techniques, tools and customs that have fallen by the wayside; for this reason I wanted to centre my collaboration with Mexico Design Week on the design of oil lamps. To search for authentic illumination, to remember the ways of the distant and not - so - distant past and to inhabit and experience the warmth of its light.
Having debuted at Mexico Design Week, the three lamps were then exhibited at the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico throughout October.
You can find out more about Andreu’s work here.
Andreu will also be showing work at Custom Lane’s inaugural residents/collaborators exhibition, Working Title; read more about this exciting event here.
All photos courtesy of Andreu Carulla.