20 Questions: designing Héroes

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Colombian industrial designer Alberto Mantilla
Colombian industrial designer Alberto Mantilla

Alberto Mantilla is present in many kitchens around the world. His black and white ‘Camila’s Hug’ salt and pepper shakers are not only a bestseller in the MOMA, but his designs of John Deere tractors are sleek and on the cutting-edge. The City Paper spoke with this iconic designer, who also oversaw the renovation of the Los Héroes monument.

1. How did you enter the world of industrial design?

I studied industrial design at Javeriana University and I didn’t know where I was going or really what industrial design was all about. This was an advantage for me as our professors were very passionate and were very keen as to what was happening around the world. They wanted us to learn not only theories but in practice, and through an alliance with the SENA, my fellow students and I learned the technology. But it was only after I graduated that I could know if I was any good at this and I wanted to validate my knowledge outside. In 1983, I graduated and went to Washington, then on to San Francisco and New York.

2. What was the creative process leading to  ‘Camila’s Hug’ ?

The story of salt and pepper is interesting. After I had designed an award-winning cot for my son, I wanted to create my own creative brand. MINT Inc. became a design collective for creative ideas along with my co-founders Antony Baxter and Scott Henderson. But when my daughter Camila was born, I felt the need to create something special for her as well. It was a very important time for me in New York as the Twin Towers had just happened and we were all in a state of shock. There were a lot of questions in our minds such as “why do these things happen,” or “what is going to happen next.” As a designer you are always connected. Then a colleague told me there was a contest for salt and peppers shakers. It stuck in my mind. I thought about my daughter being born, the idea of black and white, and how salt and pepper never meet, all of this within months of the tragedy of the Twin Towers.

Camila's Hug salt and pepper shakers
“Camila’s Hug” has been a best-seller at the MOMA for years.

3. Why do people connect to this design embrace?

I did six alternations of the embrace in my studio until I felt I had made a connection. It was a Ying and Yang. The design went beyond what I had imagined and the work has a semantic space, which is open to many interpretations. When the person who sees this work or buys it understands the visual language and messages that went into it, then the project becomes important. This project has been incredible and for many years it was the most successful sales item in the MOMA. The size is good, the shape is harmonious. People make a connection with this work.

4. What are your projects now?

MINT Inc. is a hobby for us, but Curve ID is our most successful company and does design consultancy work for clients such as Nike, Colgate and Kenneth Cole. John Deere has been with us for two decades, and as we have a Latino background, we investigate the Latino market in the U.S. We also have a company called BEAM that does more of the engineering work. So we have three companies.

5. Is there political will to restore monuments in this city?

I am not an architect, but I feel that design and architecture come together on many levels. First of all, Colombia in known internationally for its architecture. Just look at Medellin and you’ll see that it is going through an international boom for its architectural projects. Political obstacles can be overcome in this country if architects and designers show their commitment to recovering spaces that have been abandoned or are in disuse. At the last minute things get resolved. Obstacles can be overcome. It’s just the way we are. In terms of design, I find it interesting what has happened to art and literature in this country. We are very internationally recognized.

6. And in the design world?

In design we haven’t yet had this revolution. There are very good designers here. There are good educational opportunities as well, but what is missing, is the practical application of the know how. I have been always very open to receiving designers in New York who need to apply their knowledge in the working world. I don’t receive Colombians simply because they are Colombians, but because they have very good portfolios. The people I have taken on in my company from Colombia have been exceptional.

7. How did you become involved in the renovation of Los Heroés?

The project is from the creatives at Zona D. They traveled to New York to talk to me, as they wanted a designer who had certain criteria and international experience. I believed from the beginning that the project was very important, as I had a reference from my childhood to this monument. I remembered it always as being the entrance to the big city.

8. Do you want to become more involved in Bogotá with more projects?

Definitely. One of my goals is to become closer to my country. Through my company, we are looking at more projects and signing contracts with large companies here. My dream would be to start a design company in Bogotá and give back something to my country for all it has given me.

9. What do you miss about life in Colombia?

Having been born here has given me a different approach to life overseas. It’s in the way we dance, the way we embrace each other and even in the way we conduct business.  I miss everything about this country: the food, the countryside, the people. But New York is also an incredible place.

10. Where were you on 9/11?

I was relatively close to the Twin Towers. Just some 30 blocks away as my offices then were in SoHo. The strange thing about that day is that I never get sick, but I woke up that terrible day feeling somewhat ill. My in-laws were staying with me so I didn’t go into Manhattan from my home in Rego Park in Queens. We couldn’t get to our offices for two weeks because everything had been barricaded. When I think about it today, I still have this terrible sensation and I have no words to explain how I feel.

11. So you feel very much a New Yorker.

New Yorkers are very strong people and very sincere. I love New York, because it has a strong character. It doesn’t matter who you are, just as long as you are good at what you do. I thrive there, because I get so much inspiration for everything I see around me. You are always immersed in music, culture, painting and design. Where else could you be if not in New York.

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