Jairo Carreras & Judit Vinent

Furniture maker

©Foto Nueve

The combined talents of flame and wood

Jairo and Judit work with wood in all their creations
Alongside other techniques, they practise pyrography which is the art of painting with heat
They draw inspiration from the island of Menorca and Mediterranean traditions

Jairo Carreras and Judit Vinent have been working together since 2022 to handcraft decorative interior pieces. Jairo has a background in woodwork, though he never formally studied carpentry, working instead in restoration of doors, windows, beams and wooden furniture for years. “I worked alongside a local cabinetmaker, and from him I learned traditional techniques, the characteristics of different types of wood, and how to use the right tool for each task,” he says. Judit is a fine arts creative who felt the need to work with more organic materials. Combined with the opportunity to join forces with Jairo, she started to experiment with pyrography and incorporating wood into her paintings. The works produced by the duo range from furniture pieces and lamps to framed paintings, in which acrylic paint composes alongside pyrographed motifs and wooden elements, for a 3D result.

Interview

©Foto Nueve

©Foto Nueve

What is your connection with ullastre?: Judit: Our work is deeply rooted in our Menorcan surroundings of being a small Mediterranean island. We work with living material. The wild olive tree, called ullastre, is the most emblematic tree of Menorca, and we use it alongside reclaimed wood. It also features in our painted seascapes.
How does the dynamic between you work?: Judit: We work together, complementing one another. Because we each bring our own techniques, we are able to create pieces that are more decorative, more elaborate. Colour and form find their balance thanks to both our inputs.
What do people usually not know about your workshop?: Jairo: The first is that we carry out the entire making process ourselves. I cut the firewood, dry it, strip the bark, and so on. Our workshop is situated in an old cave in Sant Lluís, which served as a shelter for civilians during the Spanish Civil War. We work surrounded by living stone, and souls.
Is traditional woodworking at risk?: Jairo: In some ways, yes. Industrialisation has done a lot of damage to traditional crafts. But I also believe that craftsmanship is currently undergoing a transformation, with a renewed appreciation for handmade work.

Jairo Carreras & Judit Vinent are expert artisans: they began their career in 1998