ames brings colombian traditional craftsmanship to MAISON&OBJET 2020

ames showcases new furniture, carpets and accessories that convey the beauty and uniqueness of colombian traditional craftsmanship during maison&objet 2020. from 17 to 21 january, the furniture and home accessories brand brings selected works by sebastian herkner and pauline deltour to paris, presented alongside a new hand-knotted carpet by dutch designer mae engelgeer. concerned with the preservation of cultural techniques, ames’ founder and director ana maría calderón kayser has the entire collection manufactured by hand by small enterprises, significantly changing the production conditions in these family-structured production units.all images © andres valbuena

with a focus on authenticity and handcrafted techniques for all its products, ames seeks to strengthen village communities, while valuing and retaining the knowledge of the master artisans for the younger generation. in turn, this fuels renowned designers to create new works, developing products in their own design language that capture an international zeitgeist. colombia’s diversity – a land of snow-capped high mountains, ancient forests, deserts and coasts – forms the basis for the choice of materials and the manufacturing techniques for a product, including the new uilas carpets by dutch designer mae engelgeer, which draw from the unique character of huila province. presented at this year’s MAISON&OBJET in paris, engelgeer’s carpets combine the dry fibers of the fique plant with the lush softness of untreated new wool. twisted yarns of both materials emphasize the natural radiation of the carpets and their unusual spectrum of colors and brilliance. the manual dexterity of the knotters and weavers is evident in the asymmetrical shapes that lend uilas a playful look.

at the same time, sebastian herkner has raised the caribe chic furniture range to a new level of interpretation with new colors and fine italian marble tops. here again, huila province sets the orientation: muted colors of the earth and the desert meet with the blue and green of the rio magdalena and its multifaceted floodplains, which allow the italian marble to come into its own. the subas carpets in natural wool colors, also by sebastian herkner, are now available in the fifth coloring, oruga. subas carpets appeal for their reduced designs and their combination of geometric figures, high-low effects, plaids, stripes and plain areas.

herkner is also behind the cielo range of stacking chairs, which is now complemented by a new, elegant daybed, chairs with armrest and bar stools. the steel tubing, powder-coated in bogotá, is jacketed along the lines of the traditional ‘momposino’ art of braiding. additionally, his la che table range has gained a new color, cuerda, also created with a traditional craft technique from the andes that was developed by the indigenous lache tribe using fique fibers. last, herkner has interpreted the textiles of hammocks for the maraca pillow in three sizes and with a new color harmony.

pauline deltour has added the color olive to her killa series of wall mirrors, the frame of which is woven by hand from the fibres of the iraca palm, which is traditionally used in the production of panama hats. the production process involves multiple steps: iraca fibers are obtained from the leaf stalks and are shredded, boiled, rinsed and bleached; they are then given their natural coloring using seeds, leaves, nuts and roots. also receiving a color update is the mecato bench, for which iraca yarns are interwoven to create a complete surface area, covering a powder-coated steel frame. the modern bench with its attractive feel is lightweight, minimalist and yet aesthetically playful.