Interview with Cristián Mohaded: weaving new perspectives

Malla is a series of folders designed by Cristián Mohaded based on the simple geometric construction in 2D proposing as a result a 3D effect. The optical game in these folders refers to natural phenomena such as crystallization, fissures, wave movements and constellations. The apparent random deformations, added to the use of color and texture variations, give a greater sense of relief to each of the rugs in the series.

The Malla line was awarded the Argentine Good Design Seal in 2017. The graphic resource used is reminiscent of certain natural phenomena, such as crystallization and constellations.

Your works are characterized by subtlety and the constant search for new materials. Is there a specific work process in your projects?

I don’t have a defined work process, I always adapt to the project, I don’t believe in formalisms or in a step by step process. I have to be free to work. I like to explore with materials and techniques. I really like to draw, to make with my hands. They are all tools in my process, but they all have the same importance.
In particular, with the first project of the rug for El Espartano, the first thing was to visit the company, to know the step by step production processes. I like to know where I am and who I am going to work with.

¿How did Malla come about?

Malla arises almost as if from a mental preview of what I imagined for the project: a space without limits, open but orderly. This series of folders was born from experimentation with geometric shapes such as the square, the rectangle and the hexagon. From the deformation of these shapes, I began to find certain perspectives that generated a more three-dimensional vision of the surface. The result is a collection of products similar to each other, which allowed a variable rich in textures and contrasts. As a designer I have always tried to find in materials a way to communicate and to generate closeness, sensitivity and appropriation by people towards products. I believe that materials have to do with the first thing a person can perceive about a product, and today textiles are becoming more and more important in our daily lives. Textile has a certain warmth compared to other materials, it implies a much closer apprehension with a question of senses such as touch and smell.

What things spark your inspiration to create something new?

I find my inspiration in the most basic and everyday things. When I’m walking I can find things that ¨hypnotize¨ me, although usually it’s the most ordinary or less obvious things that move me the most. I am passionate about textures, colors, spaces, details of the city. Certain natural phenomena also inspire me, and then I take them to a more abstract reading. But I’m never looking for anything, it has to happen spontaneously.

Are you interested in exploring craft/industrial as forms of production?

I believe that both forms must have a dialogue, I don’t believe in the rigid that separates actions. I like to be able to combine both, to make them dialogue in the best possible way. I believe that a good design work should be open to both methods of production. I am passionate about craftsmanship, because of its relationship with the hands, the stories behind a technique, but I am also very passionate about the industry, about the composition of a work team that sets out for a design project.

Mesh 01 in another color variant. Details and elaboration process with Cristián at El Espartano’s factory.

¿What was the biggest challenge in the realization of the Malla?

Working with heights and different colors. The technique used is the cut pile or bouclé. With the same color we were able to generate different layers in the same carpet.

Where do you place Malla in your professional career and what did it represent for you as a design professional?

Malla was my first rug collection. It was the achievement of getting to work with a company with as much history as El Espartano. It also represented the possibility of continuing to work together on new collections, where I continue to absorb new experiences that fill me with satisfaction.

Cristián Mohaded is an Industrial Designer by the National University of Architecture of Córdoba (FAUDI). He was born in the town of Recreo, Catamarca, and currently lives in the city of Buenos Aires. Recently one of his creations was selected to integrate the design collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), being part of an extensive international design selection. She has won numerous national and international design competitions and has participated in exhibitions and fairs of the same nature, making her a reference in contemporary Argentine design. Currently, he is dedicated to the development and design of products for national and international companies. Among the international brands that have his designs are the Serge Bensimon art gallery, Habitat, Roche Bobois and La Redoute. In Argentina, Voila BA, VacaValiente, La Feliz, Malba, Imdi Iluminación, Solantu and FOG Concept.