Textiles
Cassandra: Kima Guitart Exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts
To speak with my voice: the ultimate. I did not want anything more, anything different. Cassandra, by Christa Wolf On March 30, Spain’s National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid inaugurated the exhibition Cassandra, featuring the works of textile artist Kima Guitart. Cassandra is her vision of the myth of Cassandra, a symbol of unheard…
Read MoreMadrid Design Festival 2023: Showcasing the Best of Spanish Design
The Madrid Design Festival which began in February is taking place at various locations around Madrid and online. The only festival in Spain that brings together all design disciplines, including architecture, graphic and interior design, hybridizing them in a contemporary and innovative format. This year’s event, the sixth edition, sees the participation of over eighty…
Read More2022 Made in Spain Holiday Gift Guide: Functional Art Pieces
This curated selection of made-in-Spain pieces has wonderful gift ideas for the discerning recipient. Representing some of the best of Spain’s artisan traditions-leathercraft, ceramic, textile, woodwork- they stand out as purely art pieces as well as functional objects. All items are available online or by special order and can be shipped outside of Spain. José…
Read More5 Made in Spain Blankets to Snuggle Up In
I love blankets. Besides the obvious function of keeping one warm, they add depth to a decor scheme with colour, materiality, and pattern. They make great wedding, birthday, or house-warming gifts. Vibrant and subtle colour palettes. Traditional and contemporary motifs. Merino. Mohair. Cashmere. Alpaca. These are descriptions of the blankets from five makers that I…
Read MoreMaleza’s Vision of the Traditional Cordobés Hat
Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people. The importance of telling stories in an alternative way drives Myrte Sara Huyts and Javier Reta, the founders of Maleza hatmakers. They create limited edition, bespoke, and one-of-a-kind genderless hats in felt and vegetable fibers, such as hemp and baobab straw. Coming from different countries-the…
Read MoreHijo de Epigmenio: For the Love of Spanish Crafts
Juan Manuel Gil López is the son of (hijo de) Epigmenio, hence the name of his shop Hijo de Epigmenio. I first met him when I visited his central Madrid shop in August 2019 on the last day of my month in Spain. The handmade artisan items on display fascinated me. Many were unfamiliar and he…
Read MoreProfile: Federico Antelo Granero: Geometric Abstraction
“I cannot think in a way that separates shapes and colour. The patterns I create are an exaltation of this ‘partnership’ between shapes and colours.” Based in Madrid, Argentina–born Federico Antelo Granero has quickly established himself among the premier textile artisans in his adopted country. With a background in painting, his pieces are remarkable for…
Read MoreSACo: Showcasing Contemporary Spanish Artisanship
“SACo’s genesis arises from the experience of a group of artisan firms in Spain that sensed the need to come together to improve their exposure and commercialization capacity inside and, especially, outside Spain. As an organization, we will promote artisans that create contemporary designs, who make their products mainly by hand with a high level…
Read MoreMy Pieces from Spain
My Pieces from Spain have moved with me to my various homes over the years. Some are online purchases, others in-store. There are pieces that I bought for my pleasure, and gifts from my Spanish in-laws with one from my father-in-law who once owned two gift shops in Madrid. Porcelain. Metal. Leather. Textiles. Ceramics. Some…
Read MoreProfile: Ábbatte: Fine Contemporary Spanish Craftsmanship
“We create artistic objects for daily life, made with natural yarns in an artisan way”. Ábbatte creates exclusive textile pieces made with the finest silk, alpaca, cashmere, wool and linen yarns sourced from around the world. Elena Goded Rambaud and her daughter, Camila Lanzas Goded, launched the company in 2013, after careers as a university…
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