While I naturally draw inspiration from what’s happening in the world, there’s always a pressing need to remain authentic to our history: the Caribbean, its people, and our everyday life. This is why it took some time to shape this inspiration in a way that felt right for Tucurinca. IGNEO, in the first instance, is inspired by a global trend of monolithic shapes.
Coming from an environment far from design and transitioning from seven years of making chairs on the streets to having a team of more than 60 people has shown us and taught us the importance of finding materials and creative sources in our immediate surroundings.
Talking about our region is an immediate source of excitement; landscapes with snowy peaks that plunge into the Caribbean Sea, rivers that flow through the tropical dry forest, and monolithic rocks that transport us through history. Immovable objects perfectly placed in impossible locations, sculpted over the years by wind and sea, a constant source of personal amazement.
This is where IGNEO begins, a reference to these massive rock formations, formed deep within the earth and polished by natural conditions over time.
The process.
In the same line of working with what our environment offers, we use the materials we have on hand to create aesthetic, functional, and feasible pieces. Since the volumes of IGNEO needed to be shaped by structures that allowed us to weave our materials around them, creating the collection turned out to be a special challenge that required more time and effort from the artisans and the creative team. Although complex to manufacture, in the end, we were able to create pieces that not only reflect their history but are also aesthetic and functional.
The materials
IGNEO is available in Recycled Synthetic Cord and Cienaguero Cord. Our Black Synthetic Cord is made from the plastic waste in our workshop, which is recycled and reprocessed to create the black color.
On the other hand, Cienaguero Cord is a fiber similar to “Danish paper cord” but of local origin, consisting of twisted cane paper. Years ago, I came across a small furniture workshop in the town of Ciénaga where I discovered a fifty-year-old German machine that produced the material. Cienaguero Cord was born as a tribute to the place where it is manufactured, as well as to Danish furniture, which has always been a significant inspiration in our work.
Texts by Carolina Betancourt // @popora_
Photography by Rafael Zuniga // @pase_bonito
