• Gilberto and Óscar preserve an indigenous southern Colombian craft
• They find inspiration in local flora, fauna, volcanoes and lagoons
• In 2020, their craft was placed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Gilberto Granja and Óscar Granja specialise in barniz de pasto, the art of decorating wooden objects with resin from the mopa mopa tree, also known as pasto varnish. After spending 20 years in architecture and graphic design, Óscar decided to return to the family workshop in 2009 to work with his father Gilberto, who taught him everything about this centuries-old indigenous craft. The technique results in patterns with a precision so incredible they can be mistaken for computer-generated designs. While Gilberto has revived the barniz brillante technique, which incorporates gold leaf with brilliant varnish, Óscar has developed collaborative projects with other makers and designers to apply the technique to new materials and formats. Together, their work searches for new visual languages rooted in tradition, creating pieces that link territory, history, design and contemporary craftsmanship.