A circular warmth of light
- Carmen creates basketry lamps from upcycled plastic fibres
- She is self-taught, and her technique is inspired by Chilote basketry traditions
- Her basketry kit is designed to encourage people to craft their own lamps
In the Puerto Montt region and Chiloé Island, Carmen Morandé discovered an opportunity to transform and recycle discarded plastic netting from salmon farms into fibres for her woven lamp designs. In 1999, she graduated with a degree in interior and product design at Universidad Finis Terrae, and continued her studies in graphic design at Parsons School of Design. While in New York, Carmen worked with renowned designer Jonathan Adler on creating patterns for textiles woven by Peruvian and Mexican artisans. "This experience shaped my path as an independent designer and artisan," she says. In 2002, back in Chile, Carmen worked with weavers on her own lama wool rug business and later founded Neta Upcycle Design in 2018.
Interview
- How is family, ancestry and territory present in your work?
- My creative identity was shaped within a family of architects and engineers. My practice has always included Peruvian and Chilean artisan communities, their territories, fibres and traditional weaving techniques. Through Neta Upcycle Design, I address a universal environmental concern within Chilote communities, whose basketry traditions have inspired my woven lamps.
- What defining moment sent you on the path of craftsmanship?
- Digitally designing patterns for my rug business became unengaging, so I decided to make my own creations and started researching fibres I could transform into textiles. Driven by environmental and social concerns, I looked for waste materials I could recycle. I found my source in Puerto Montt, where salmon farms discard thousands of metres of plastic netting that pollute lakes and coasts.
- What led you to basketry?
- When I found the discarded netting material, I tried weaving the plastic fibres on the loom, but it was not resistant to friction and would crumble to pieces. I resorted to basic manual basketry techniques found in Chilote communities to ensure there was no wear with friction when I aim to create different shapes and sizes. This is how my woven lamps came to be.
- How does your craft create impact?
- My upcycling story has built a global community of Instagram followers. I encourage them not only to purchase my lamps, but to also craft their own with a basketry kit I have designed. Neta Upcycle Design's lamps contribute to the Chilean Patagonia by giving visibility to a region and transforming a problem into an experience of colour, artistry and warmth of light.
Carmen Morandé is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2001 and she started teaching in 2021
Works
Where
Carmen Morandé
