Co-creating with the sea
- Miriam has a degree in communication
- La Pájara Pinta is the name of her workshop
- Working with driftwood is very meaningful to her
Miriam Márquez has forged a collaborative relationship with the sea, wind and sun at her beach house off the Gulf of Morrosquillo, on the Colombian Caribbean coast. She communicates with nature during her long beach walks as she 'hunts' for new pieces of driftwood that have washed up onto the beach. When she finds an interesting piece, she patiently awaits the drying process under the sun to discover the species, its creases, streaks, and fissures that salt water, currents and tides have brought on to it during a journey from an inland river to the gulf and back. Miriam observes the piece of wood until she can rewrite a story with it, respecting its marks and natural colours, to give it new life as a sculptural or functional piece.
Interview
- What is your craft’s relation to your region?
- It is intrinsically linked to the Gulf of Morrosquillo, to the cyclical and transformational journey of woods drifting from the tropical forests of El Darien and their return to land through currents, tides and crashing waves. The natives of these lands taught me how to observe and listen to nature as well as their carpentry techniques.
- What are your sources of inspiration and the renewed view to your craft?
- My work is very intuitive. I am inspired by the sea, literature, Japanese philosophy, my geographical setting, and its natives. I have given this driftwood a new lease, without covering its scars which most woodworkers are eager to hide.
- What was a milestone or turning point in your professional path?
- Leaving the Montería to build a house off the Gulf of Morrosquillo and reading Argentinian writer Juan Forn’s work about his relationship with the sea. I was inspired to do something creative with the wood I had started collecting intuitively.
- Is there something about your craft that most people do not know?
- Natives burn driftwood into charcoal for commercial and domestic use. I 'rescue' some of this burned wood and draw inspiration from Japanese Yakisugi technique to create a stronger, more durable piece.
Miriam Márquez is a rising star: she began her career in 2016
Where
Miriam Márquez
