MARÍA OSPINA
Angie María Ospina is the designer of her handmade garment line, co-manager at Pocoapoco, a mother, a daughter, a friend. She carries an energy of ease with a way of interpreting all elements in life as a chance to craft something beautiful, new, interesting, all simultaneously under the practice of ethicality. Her natural fiber garment collection created in partnership with her mother carrying the same name can be interpreted as a creative representation of that energy. It embodies those elements of beautifully functional, simple, refined-but-natural while including essential details. Wearing her pieces you feel connected to that spirit.
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We believe there's a living energy in handmade material, adopted from the hands of the maker and radiated through the space it occupies. While consumer-driven culture has most of the world's creatives losing this essence to the process of making with unnatural material and machine, makers in Oaxaca are holding on to the handmade tradition with the knowledge of the connection it holds. Each object crafted by hand is a continuation of this connection to each other and the natural environment, holding it above the mirage of material self-identity.
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To connect more we sat down with María and her family at their home and studio in Oaxaca City to talk balance, a sustainment of equilibrium in life she understands to be dynamic and finds at the end of each day in gratitude.
Photos & Video by Dalí Nelio.
For English scroll to the bottom of the page.
El balance es clave, pero pareciese que es un elemento elusivo para algunos de nosotros. ¿Cómo es que mantienes el balance en tu vida diaria?
Es bastante difícil definir que es balance en general, para mi es poder terminar el día sintiéndome que fui productiva, sociable, activa, entre otra infinidad de cosas y sentimientos diarios. Sintiendo una satisfacción con lo ocurrido del día a mi forma de ser y de estar en ese momento preciso y en las situaciones que se me presenten.
El “Describete en 3 palabras”, se limita demasiado para describirnos en nuestra mas pura escencia. Cuando fue que comenzaste a encontrar los multiples niveles de tu ser interno.
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Creo las personas vamos teniendo cierto tipo de etapas repetitivas en diferentes circunstancias en nuestras vidas que hacen que evolucionemos de cierto modo y que nuestras mente se ajuste ciertos modos de pensar. Conforme he ido creciendo he ido descubriendo esas rutinas, rituales, actividades, etc. que me hacen cuestionarme y preguntarme donde me encuentro más cómoda y que actividades o inversión de tiempo me aportan más a mi forma de ser, estar y pensar.
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No recuerdo cuando comencé a percatarme de los diferentes niveles, pero creo que la misma vida y las mismas experiencias que he vivido me han hecho más consciente de estos niveles.
Nosotros creeemos que el balance es la raiz de la fortuna y desfortuna, ¿pero tu crees que hay exista algo mas trascendental que el balance?
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Cuando se encuentra el balance lo transcendental sería darnos cuenta que nos brindó ese balance y como es que logramos a llegar a él, aunque sea por unos instantes, momentos o periodos.
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Fijarnos en aquello que nos brinda balance y nos hace sentir en cierto equilibrio con lo que hacemos, decimos y compartimos, creo se vuelve de alguna forma transcendental en el tiempo.
La yuxtaposicion entre el caos y la belleza, genera combustible para la creatividad. ¿Cómo es que tu camino en la vida fue afectado por estas?
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Creo que el entender que a veces dentro del caos existe una belleza y el poder observarla y sacarle el mejor fruto en cada una de mis piezas o creaciones es lo que me hace pensar que pudo equivocarme y sacar algo hermoso de esa equivocación tanto en la creación de prendas como en mi vida diaria.
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Cuando estoy creando una pieza nueva, imagino como podría ser lo plasmo en un papel y en repetidas ocasiones han salido formas bastantes raras que me han ayudado a darle vida a lo que hoy son un conjunto de 10 piezas bien pasadas, cómodas, simples, fáciles de usar. Creo lo más importante es agradecer lo que se nos presenta y saber que podemos crear, hacer con eso que tenemos frente a nosotros.
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English.
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Balance is key, but it seems to be an elusive element for some of us. How do you sustain balance in your everyday?
It is quite difficult to define what balance is in general, for me it is to be able to end the day feeling that I was productive, sociable, active, among other things and everyday feelings. Feeling satisfaction with what happened in the day and my way of being and in those precise moments with situations that arise.
The ‘describe yourself in 3 words’ question falls short in capturing the diverse qualities we carry within us. When did you first learn to find the leveling point between the layered essence of who you are?
We as people have repetitive stages in the different circumstances of our lives that make us evolve in a certain way, and our minds adjust in certain ways of thinking as a reaction to those circumstances. As I grow I am discovering routines, rituals, activities, etc. that make me question myself and ask myself where it is that I am more comfortable, or what activities or time investments contribute more to my way of being and thinking.
I don't remember when I began to notice the different levels, but I think that this life and these experiences that I have lived have made me more aware of them.
We believe balance is the root of both fortune and misfortune, but is there something you believe is deeper than or leveled with it that needs practice?
When balance is found, the transcendental thing would be to realize what it is that gave us that balance and how we managed to reach it, even for a few moments. Look at what it is that gives us balance and makes us feel a certain balance with what we do, what we say and share, I think it becomes somewhat transcendental in time.
Chaos and beauty and the juxtaposition or likeness between the two fuel creativity. How has your path in life been affected by these elements?
Understanding that sometimes there is beauty in chaos and being able to observe it and get the best out of it in each of my pieces or creations is what makes me feel that I can make mistakes and get something beautiful out of that mistake, both in the creation of garments and in my daily life.
When I am creating a new piece, on paper I imagine how it could be expressed and on repeated occasions have come out with rare forms that have helped me to give life to what are today a set of 10 pieces that are well thought out, comfortable, simple, easy to use. I think the most important thing is to thank what is naturally presented to us and know what we can create out of it, to create with what we have in front of us.
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