Trini Salamanca & Pablo Párraga

A creative alchemy of the mystique

• Trini and Pablo work with a great variety of materials
• Their pieces seek to convey their aesthetic universe
• They design their works as totems

Pablo Párraga trained in cabinetmaking at the Paloma Institute in Madrid and Trini Salamanca is a self-taught artisan. They work together, bringing diverse materials into interaction with each other, including wood. "Epoxy resin has allowed us to develop a manual application method that requires rigorous control over the material: its catalysis, humidity, and temperature," explains Trini. "We have also worked with organic stucco and spray paint, as well as paper pulp, among other materials." For the duo, tradition and innovation in their work come from the blend of material and its use. "Between the object itself and what we end up creating. Between the technique and the material research to achieve the desired effect, that is where the balance between innovation and tradition lies" says Pablo. "Las Ánimas works on each piece in a kind of exploration ritual, alchemy in the studio where we work on each piece from start to finish."

Interview

©Las Ánimas

©Gabriel Navas

What references define your work?

Trini: References as varied as science fiction, the tribal world, the distortion of reality, cybernetics, duality, experimental/industrial electronic music, and architectural brutalism. Natural forms and textures, ceremonies, retrofuturism. Undoubtedly, the world of the symbolic, mystical, tribal, and esoteric is also present.

How does the idea for each object you create come about?

Trini: Each piece arises from a need to express. We want to convey an aesthetic universe, a parallel dream world full of visions, references to art, history, religion, and the underlying memories of popular culture – our own unconscious memory and collective memory.

Is that why your pieces are so sensory?

Trini: As a result of this altered vision of reality where sumptuousness, mysticism and magic come together, pieces of ceremonial character, bold volumes, and colours emerge with impactful sensory textures and materials.

What material have you been working with lately?

Pablo: Wool. Through tufting, we have learned to work and carve sheep's wool, creating pieces for the floor or wall. We work with our frame, cutting layers of wool and aligning the designs.

Trini Salamanca & Pablo Párraga are master artisans: they began their career in 2014 and they started teaching in 2018

Works

©Las Ánimas

©Las Ánimas

©Las Ánimas

©Las Ánimas

©Las Ánimas

Where