Cecilia & Mercè González

Desedamas

Textile creator

©Marta Sala González

The silk sisters

Cecilia and Mercè are inspired by the Mediterranean coastline
They use quilting techniques to enhance the painted silks
Painting and sewing are their specialisations

Cecilia and Mercè Gonzalez learned to sew with their mother, as children. Mercè studied chemical engineering and Cecilia as a draftswoman. As a hobby they began to paint silk, first at home, then in their parents' garage and finally in their own workshop. This was 20 years ago. The Gonzalez sisters have become professional craftswomen starting in a self-taught way and then following trainings such as Chinese calligraphy that Mercè continues to develop. Cecilia and Mercè do not have apprentices but they do wish to transmit what they have learned, which is why they upload small tutorials on Instagram where they share their knowledge and experience.

Interview

©Marta Sala González

©Marta Sala González

When did you decide to become a professional workshop?: Cecilia: We started painting in our parents' garage, but everything had to be put away at night so that the car would fit in. In 2011 we began building our workshop in La Llacuna, 20 kilometers from our hometown, we opened in 2015 and are still here today.
Is there any technique you specialise in?: Mercè: Apart from silk painting, we work a lot with the free quilting technique. It helps us enhance the texture of the painted or printed silks. Choosing the appropriate threads and experimenting with new quilting designs is a subtle aspect that we have been doing for years.
Where do you find inspiration?: Mercè: The landscape that surrounds us is a great source of inspiration. As is the music we listen to in the workshop while we work. But above all we believe inspiration comes from an open mind and we try to find it in small details.
How do you define your craft?: Cecilia: We believe in the use of textiles for artistic creation starting from the deep knowledge of silk that we have acquired through our years as craftswomen. We settled on traditionally feminine techniques, materials and tools, making them the paradigm of our way of expression.

Cecilia & Mercè González are expert artisans: they began their career in 2001