Two handwoven baskets, with handles of emerald green, are examples of tejido de palma (palm weaving), a living Oaxacan tradition dating back a millennium. Maestro (master) artisan Juan Garcia Mendoza, a weaver based in San Pedro Jocotipac, crafted these pieces as a bespoke commission for Toronto-based interior designer Gillian Gillies.
The collaboration was catalyzed by the designer’s transformative visit to Oaxaca last year, when she met Vera Claire, founder of Cosa Buena (Good Thing), a multifaced endeavor encompassing a design consultancy, regenerative travel company, and nonprofit foundation. One of Cosa Buena’s core projects is connecting indigenous artisans and interior designers to develop exquisite custom pieces.
Cosa Buena founder Vera Claire.
A seat of Mexico’s cultural heritage, Oaxaca is home to 19 indigenous groups—including Zapotec, Mixtec, Amuzgo, and Chatino—many of whom practice traditional art forms that have been handed down for generations: among them, basketry, handwoven textiles and rugs, barro negro (black clay pottery), and loza verde (green earthenware). Through Cosa Buena, Claire collaborates primarily with Zapotec artists from the Central Valleys and Mixtec artists from the northwestern Mixteca region to craft superb interior commissions.
Claire first arrived in Oaxaca in 2015 while creating a narrative-based literacy program in collaboration with a community of Zapotec women weavers. While there, she noted the consumptive nature of some tourism. “This can be an extractive industry,” says Claire. “‘Where do I stay, what do I eat or buy,’ not ‘What am I going to share, what do I feel I can bring?’” Claire subsequently moved to Oaxaca with her husband and began working to preserve and amplify ancestral craft techniques through immersive retreats developed with the makers.
“We wanted to ensure these would be forums that allow time and space for artisans and participants to connect and learn about one another,” says Claire, noting a natural dyeing workshop with a local family—a husband and wife and their children, who are in their 20s. “They’re proud of their Zapotec roots, and they’ve expressed that it’s very rewarding to see others appreciate the crafts and traditions they’re dedicating their lives to.”
Native marush dries on the floor of a dyeing studio before color is extracted; above it, skeins of finished yarn.
The design commission process is also collaborative. “These maestros have unparalleled knowledge of their material and techniques and can often tell me from the beginning whether something will be possible,” she says. “Often we experiment with new materials or forms, and the only way to see how something will come together is to try to make it.” The artisans determine their pricing, taking into consideration the cost of materials, complexity of the design, and time needed to create it.
Last year Claire worked with Design Leadership Network to create an experiential outing for the organization’s conference in Mexico. Gillies was among the guests and ultimately collaborated with Cosa Buena on commissions for residential design projects, including Mendoza’s aforementioned baskets, which needed to be made to exact dimensions for custom millwork. “The baskets are the jewelry,” says Gillies. “The finishing touch elevating the space.”
Each Cosa Buena retreat closes with a ritual called agradecimiento, meaning expressing gratitude. “While seated around the table sharing meals with the artisans who host our workshops, we share words with the family,” says Claire. “We give thanks.”
Potter Marí Ruiz López
Potter Marí Ruiz López.
Mujer Maíz
Potter Marí Ruiz López carves a mujer maíz (woman of corn) into clay for a chandelier designed by Cosa Buena founder Vera Claire.
Clay Pieces
Clay pieces in the kiln at the Santa María Atzompa home of potter Marí Ruiz López.
País de Maíz
Claire’s corn light sculpture design, País de Maíz, was crafted by maestro artisan Juan Garcia Mendoza and won the grand prize at Design Week Mexico in 2020.
Dyeing Studio
Native marush dries on the floor of a dyeing studio before color is extracted; above it, skeins of finished yarn.
Loom
A striped textile on the loom at the home of artisan Soledad Ruíz Mendoza.
Dyeing Studio
Native marush dries on the floor of a dyeing studio before color is extracted; above it, skeins of finished yarn.
Rug Weavers
Rug weavers Hermelinda, Josefina, and Gloria López (left to right) in their Teotitlán del Valle studio.
Candle Wax
Wax bleaches in the sun for candlemaking.
Barware
Metal barware is made using the traditional technique of hojalata, a tin art that dates to the 16th century.
VERANDA Magazine
Featured in the July/August 2024 issue of VERANDA. Produced by Rachael Burrow; Written by Alisa Carroll.
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