Products fair: furniture designer Christian Vivanco has teamed up with Mexican brand Balsa to produce a collection of furniture from rattan called Bajío.
The Balsa brand was created with a focus on working with master artisan experts in natural fibres including rattan ? a type of climbing plant with a flexible woody stem ? to help preserve a knowledge that is at risk of disappearing in Mexico.
"Balsa is a young project that seeks to become a new platform to promote synergy between artisans and young Mexican designers through an efficient and sustainable conversation," Vivanco told Dezeen.
Bajío was created together with local artisans. Top: the collection contains 16 pieces
For the brand's first collection Vivanco designed 16 different pieces, including lounge chairs, mirror, tables and sculptural totems that reference both Mexican crafts and European influences. "I love working with rattan for different reasons," Vivanco said. "From the design field, it seems to me a spectacular material for all the personality and unique character that distinguishes it from all other materials."
"It has a great history that goes hand in hand with the design history of the last two centuries, being a participant in great classics and an accomplice of great design masters."
Designs reference Mexican crafts
All Vivanco's pieces for the Bajío collection use large amounts of rattan and were made together with Mexican artisan rattan weavers.

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