ATLAS
ATLAS
"Many of the geometric patterns of nature found in the micro are repeated in the macro, and it is precisely this geometric concreteness or abstraction that I seek to represent in each design"
FOUNDED BY
Mariana Vieira
Atlas was founded by the Colombian designer Mariana Vieira. Mariana works exclusively with indigenous communities through a participatory design approach by exchanging knowledge on traditional and modern production techniques. In this way she preserves century old artisanship and translates it into pieces of art, furniture and interior design objects for the daily use.
The Colombian industrial designer, who carries the culture of her country in her veins and constantly reinterprets it in her work. She rescues, designs and produces everyday objects with a representative local identity. Her adventurous spirit leads her to tour the country in a holistic way that has allowed her to create unique experiences and objects.
ABOUT ATLAS
4 full-time employees & 50 artisans
LOCATION: Bogotá, Colombia
MATERIALS: Gualdrapa tapestry fabrics
TECHNIQUE: Gualdrapa tapestry technique
IMPACT: Improve the access to education for the Wayuu communities in La Guajira, Colombia.
Mariana VieiraI am constantly travelling into the Colombian Amazon to meet with the indigenous communities such as the Wayuu communities based in La Guajira in Colombia. ATLAS is a travel journal that is shown as a fabric of tangible and intangible connections; between the macro and the micro, with humans, nature, and the mystical. It is materialized through experiences, spaces and objects created from the gaze of a refined eye and deep awareness.
The DESIGN
cosmology and natural
A night in La Guajira is a surreal dream, I think this is partly the reason why the Wayuu maintain a permanent dialogue with their origins. COSMIC GUAJIRA is a perception of the “cosmos” on my part, an exercise in geometric abstraction that they very well know how to do and represent in all their creations. They are pieces where mysticism, ancestral knowledge and sacred geometry are mixed: it is as if for them weaving is to trap the information of the cosmos and manifest it with apparent simplicity in a complex fabric.
Guajira Cósmica
is the collection of textiles for pillows, furniture and art, she works with a total 50 crafters of the Wayuu using the century old gualdrapa tapestry technique, which is originally used to decorate horse saddles for races or special occasions. When this technique is applied, a horizontal loom is spanned and each cotton thread is lifted by hand creating a thick high-quality fabric.
we work with
Wayu Iwouya Communities
Atlas works with Wayu Iwouya communities based in the in the northeastern Colombian peninsula La Guajira and lead by Cecilia Acosta. There are over 140.000 Wayuu people in Colombia with over 290.000 in Venezuela. Women make a significant income contribution to their households through their weavings using different techniques, designs and colours.
The Wayuu tradition of weaving comes from Waleker, a spider that taught the Wayuu women how to weave. After her first menstruation, the girl begins 'blanqueo', a rite of passage during which her mother and grandmother teach her everything about being a woman, including the art of weaving and crocheting. A Wayuu woman continues to refine her crochet skills throughout her life.
The Wayuu fabrics with their hand-stitched, colorful kanás – weaving designs – represent the elements of the society and daily life of these indigenous people, as well as elements of their cosmology and natural environment, such as the universe, flowers, animals.
Featured collection
Guajira Cósmica - Pink Rug
Regular price 450.00 EUR
Tax included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
In stock.
By Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira.
The Guajira Cósmica Collection has been designed by Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira. Each rug is handmade by the Wayuu Iwouya indigenous communities from La Guajira in Colombia using the traditional technique of "tapiz gualdrapa". The collection has been inspired by the geometric figures of nature - plants and animals - as well as the cosmology of the Wayuu communities.
With every purchase you directly contribute to the development of the Wayuu communities behind each product.
This rug can be also styled as a wallhanger.
Size: 120 cm diameter.
Guajira Cósmica round - Grey
Regular price 155.00 EUR
Tax included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
In stock.
By Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira.
The Guajira Cósmica Collection has been designed by Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira. Each pillow case is handmade by the Wayuu Iwouya indigenous communities from La Guajira in Colombia using the traditional technique of "tapiz gualdrapa". The collection has been inspired by the geometric figures of nature - plants and animals - as well as the cosmology of the Wayuu communities.
With every purchase you directly contribute to the development of the Wayuu communities behind each product.
Size: 50cm diameter
- Front tapestry out of cotton
- Invisible zip fastening on the side
- Backside 100% linen, light beige
Guajira Cósmica round - Red
Regular price 155.00 EUR
Tax included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
In stock.
By Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira.
The Guajira Cósmica Collection has been designed by Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira. Each pillow case is handmade by the Wayuu Iwouya indigenous communities from La Guajira in Colombia using the traditional technique of "tapiz gualdrapa". The collection has been inspired by the geometric figures of nature - plants and animals - as well as the cosmology of the Wayuu communities.
With every purchase you directly contribute to the development of the Wayuu communities behind each product.
Size: 50cm diameter
- Front tapestry out of cotton
- Invisible zip fastening on the side
- Backside 100% linen, light beige
Guajira Cósmica - mint/coral
Regular price 175.00 EUR
Tax included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
In stock.
By Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira.
The Guajira Cósmica Collection has been designed by Atlas, a Colombian design brand by Mariana Vieira. Each pillow case is handmade by the Wayuu Iwouya indigenous communities from La Guajira in Colombia using the traditional technique of "tapiz gualdrapa". The collection has been inspired by the geometric figures of nature - plants and animals - as well as the cosmology of the Wayuu communities.
With every purchase you directly contribute to the development of the Wayuu communities behind each product.
Size: 50cm x 50cm
- Front tapestry out of cotton
- Invisible zip fastening on the side
- Backside 100% linen, light beige