Minka Inhouse is a collection of ceramics and knitted products designed by Chilean designer Fran Aldea and produced by local craftsmen and women in Santiago. I was delighted when her email popped into my inbox, it’s a fascinating project. After studying design at university, Fran became frustrated working in various retail stores so turned her hands to handcrafted products. She quit her job and started searching for talented local craftsmen that could teach and help her to work with two of her favourite materials: ceramic and wool. She says:
It didn’t take me long to realize that retail companies have destroyed almost all of our domestic manufacturing. Today just about everything we consume in our country is mass-produced overseas.
After a long search I met amazing people that were still in love with their work no matter the adversity. This is how I came up with this project, Minka Inhouse. Minka is a native word used to describe a collective work with a social purpose and benefit for the community.
Fran has set up a kickstarter campaign to help fund the project. You can take a look at her kickstarter page here.
Images: Fran Aldea
