Description provided by the design team:
Ten pieces made of different materials challenge the laws of balance. Using the same typology at different scales, each composition in the Balance collection explores the equilibrium between technique, people, and the ideas that inspire us. Each piece was produced using various traditional crafts, artisanal techniques, and Mexican industrial technologies that Joel has explored at different points in his career.
Joel has come to understand the state of the industry in Mexico and its dialogue with design through his broad perspective and extensive experience, which have allowed him to experiment with different techniques and work with various workshops and industries across the country. As such, Balance is both a showcase of Mexican industrial capacity and a portfolio of Joel's own work as a designer.
Balance references the diversity that can be generated in creation starting from a single concept: the pewter piece, for example, was produced at the CINSA vitrification facility in Saltillo, Coahuila, where thousands of pots and pans are manufactured daily; the silver piece was made at TANE's high-precision factory in Mexico City, where the raw material is .99 fine silver. The glass piece, meanwhile, is the result of red-hot handblown glass, a craft passed down through generations at NOUVEL Studio in the State of Mexico. The copper piece was shaped from a simple sheet hammered by hand by artisan Napoleón in Michoacán, while several other pieces were made in a workshop in Teotihuacán, where obsidian, volcanic stone, and other minerals inspired and served pre-Columbian cultures in Mexico.
SILVER
Designing with silver for TANE is the closest we have come to fashion design. It is interesting to work with a rigorous seasonal calendar and precise brand guidelines to create everyday luxury. Although we have designed jewelry and accessories for them for years, it is always exciting to visit their production facilities and see how our ideas are transformed into a precious material that will be sold in the most exclusive stores.
GLASS
Witnessing how one of our designs is made at NOUVEL Studio is quite an experience. It takes the skill of several specialists to make a single piece of blown glass—sometimes three, sometimes six. However, everyone has a specific task: the person who pulls the red-hot glass from the kiln, the one who blows through the metal pipe to shape the material, the one who reheats the piece with a blowtorch so it doesn't cool, the one who cuts the excess, the one who manipulates the mold, and the one who directs everything in the workshop. For us, every time we make new designs with them, we participate in that initial idea, which is shaped by every hand involved in the process.
MARBLE
Marble is perhaps one of the most passionate materials in existence; dramatic, ethereal, and opulent. We use it when we want to express luxury in spaces and melodrama in a monument. In university, we teach that marble is also a key element of the Renaissance, which represents openness and change—but a change that does not forget its origins; rather, it reclaims and transforms them through a new language.
OBSIDIAN
Obsidian is a material highly rich in history and tradition; it is a natural volcanic glass that was used to make spiritual objects in pre-Columbian cultures. However, working with obsidian is a craft that has been passed down through generations; we collaborate with the third generation of a family in Teotihuacán, where the grandfather began the technique, the father perfected it, and the children are currently modernizing it, working alongside designers like us to innovate the craft.
COPPER
We met Napoleón in Santa Clara del Cobre through a project we developed for the Museo de Arte Popular, which invites designers to collaborate with artisans to create new products using traditional techniques. Sometimes, traditions are viewed as something to be placed on a pedestal behind glass just to be admired. On the contrary, we believe that preserving knowledge—in this case, craft knowledge—is achieved by understanding, utilizing, and evolving it.
WOOD
Wood is the material with which designers lose their virginity; when they stop making things out of paper and enter a university workshop for the first time, it is the first material they use. There is much to say about Mexico's woodworking tradition, as it is used in crafts, traditional toys, kitchen utensils, decorative accessories, and contemporary furniture. Because of this, carpentry is more than just an everyday trade; it is one of the noblest design processes. As a result, we wanted to step out of that comfort zone and challenge the material.
VOLCANIC STONE
If we look closely at pre-Columbian objects in a history museum, we notice the intriguing ambivalence of volcanic stone. In ancient times, it was used both for utilitarian objects, such as containers and utensils, and for symbolic figures with deep religious significance. The presence of this material has been incredibly important in our history; in addition to meeting a full spectrum of needs ranging from the practical to the spiritual, it has managed to become a timeless and highly relevant element in contemporary art and design.
PEWTER
A material, a process, and a company found in virtually every Mexican home. CINSA is one of our greatest triumphs in terms of scale, since the product lines and concepts we have developed for them have been manufactured in millions of pieces that practically anyone can buy and enjoy. Achieving innovation on such a large scale is our design legacy.
CLAY PASTE
The challenge of clay paste lies not only in its form and composition, but also in the story behind the finish. In 2013, master ceramicist Rubén began developing a glaze in an attempt to emulate traditional clay with ceramic properties: soft to the touch, moisture-resistant, and visually striking. Drawn to this innovative material, we decided to work with him, not only to make a piece that emulated something ancient, but to give form and function to a new material.
CERAMICS
Ceramics is one of the most temperamental yet charming materials; it usually requires great patience in both its conception and manufacturing, especially for forms or compositions that verge on the impossible. Attempting new configurations requires experts with an adventurous spirit and experienced hands—as is the case with an ingenious workshop in Mexico City, where a father and son pooled their knowledge and skill to create something they had never attempted before.
This article was written by Mónica Arellano. The translation is powered by AI.
