Handwoven PVC
This typical kind of handweaving was
inspired by Mayan textiles, specifically
the hammock.
Textiles and weaving methods have been present in Mexico for hundreds of years. Several Mesoamerican
cultures had a god of weaving. Woven fibers such as yucca, palm tree and cotton
were some of the first used by Aztecs. This evolved over the years and was further developed under
Spanish colonization.
Handwoven PVC appeared for the first time in the 1950´s, applied in the well-known Acapulco
chair, whose designer remains unknown today. This typical kind of handweaving was inspired by
Mayan textiles, specifically the hammock. It further developed into a new abstract form, with new
materials, keeping the same weaving techniques.
The open string construction of the chair allowed the creation of new pieces within the same basic
metal structure, varying in use, form, size and composition.
As well as Mayan hammocks, modern PVC weaving is still done by hand. In substitution of tree
bark and plant fibers, PVC is used to ensure a longer life span. The result of combining old traditions
with modern materials becomes fun, innovative and original. A technique maintaining its roots
in folk traditions. Timeless pieces as a result, an ideal candidate for reinvention and reinterpretation.
The space separating the cords and the metal becomes almost a poetic balance between material
and air. The combination of nuances of past and present woven into a contemporary form.
