Galeana’s temporary exhibition at Parque Arboleda in Monterrey is the result of an effort to communicate Galeana’s project as a whole, from the research and design process to the resulting objects and collection. ‘With no fairs or design events happening, I found a space where I presented 6 objects designed during 2020’s lockdown and sculpted in Alabaster stone by the Master Craftsman Francisco Charles. Although there is an abundance of Alabaster in Galena, there is a scarcity of craftsmen that work it’, said the designer Jorge Diego Etienne.
Galeana is a collection of 6 objects designed by Jorge Diego Etienne and sculpted in alabaster by the Master Craftsman Francisco Charles. This collection explores concepts of materiality, transformation, and craft process studied through a deep investigation of alabaster’s origin in Galeana, Nuevo Léon (Mexico).
Jorge Diego Etienne: In the south of the state of Nuevo León, at an altitude of 1,639 meters above sea level, one of the best alabaster deposits in the world is located. Alabaster stone is a crystalline variant of calcium sulfate, it is characterized by its pure white color and a precise velvety finish (qualities that are achieved by extracting the stone directly from the earth), and in the municipality of Galeana, they abound.
Working with alabaster requires culture, passion, and patience. And if anyone knows this profession, it is the Master Craftsman Francisco Charles, who for at least five decades has maintained a deep emotional bond and respect with this material and the environment that surrounds it.
In a collaboration that brings together the mastery of Francisco Charles and the concept of designer Jorge Diego Etienne, pieces such as a stool, vase, or bowl were deconstructed by the designer to generate a language of rational forms, combining artisanal manual labor with experimentation in digital modeling advanced manufacturing.
Jorge Diego Etienne: Researching and triggering questions around contemporary crafts is fundamental, as well as recognizing the link between man and the natural matter is equally important. This approach serves to restore priorities that could point the way to a design that, in some cases, seeks to face the uncertain future of its continuity.
Details: Galeana Collection at Parque Arboleda in Monterrey
The exhibition was open from 9 to 18 December 2020.
Galeana is part of the online exhibition A Material Language at Adorno, a curated digital gallery for collectible design.