Aura Carpio (Mexico City). Mexican industrial designer graduated from the Center for Industrial Design Research (CIDI-UNAM), with an academic stay at École Bleue Global Design (Paris, 2018) and a specialty in Museography and management of exhibition spaces by the Academy of San Carlos of the Faculty of Art, Crafts and Design of the UNAM (2021).

In 2020, she created the eponymous firm Aura Carpio®, a contemporary sculptural design firm. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally and has been exhibited in different art and design spaces.

1. Where were you born and where are you from ?

I was born in Mexico City, where I’ve spent most of my life. It’s a vibrant, chaotic, and beautiful city that I deeply love. I also had the opportunity to live in Paris for a year during an academic exchange, which was an enriching experience.

2. What is your first memory connected to the art world ?

My first memory of art is from when I was around 3 or 4 years old. I remember playing with small pieces of wood and metal—I remember cutting them, painting them, and making my own toys with those pieces. All this experimentation was possible thanks to my grandfather, since he worked as a welder and had many tools at home. Every time I visited him, I would play with all his tools; he would teach me how to use them, and we would create many things together. To me, it always felt like a game.

3. Have you always worked in the art/design field, and what led you to the design creation ?

Yes, I’ve always been involved in the fields of art and design. I’m an industrial designer with a specialization in curating art exhibitions.

4. What led you to the design creation ?

What led me to this incredible journey of design has been the combination of many experiences, my passion for creating forms, my professional training, the context that inspired me, and the opportunities I’ve created for this to happen. Over time, I’ve come to realize that design is not just about making things; it’s about telling stories, expressing emotions, and connecting with others. Every step I’ve taken has been guided by a desire to innovate and create something meaningful. 

5. How would you describe your creative process and it influences ?

I believe that my creative process is a synergy between something precise with a great margin for experimentation and beauty in the ‘error.’ Working with materials in their raw, unrefined essence and artisanal processes, I have learned to understand that tonal variations, wrinkles, stains, and veins are what make each piece unique. It is these same particularities that make each piece irreplaceable. Similarly, my influences are largely shaped by the cultural heritage of my country, Mexico, the entire pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican culture with the anonymous artists who created an entire style, the muralism of the 1920s, and the brutalist architectural movements that flourished in the 1970s. These have all nourished and deeply influenced my art.

6. Could you describe a typical day of your work ?

I usually arrive at the studio around 8 a.m. I enjoy being the first one there, it gives me a moment of silence to start the day with clarity. Making myself a latte has become a daily ritual; I open the windows, let in the fresh air, and play some music to set the tone. After that, I begin reviewing the day’s tasks. By 9 a.m., the rest of the team starts to arrive. No two days are the same—some days we have meetings to review prototypes or discuss new projects, and other days we head to the workshop in Michoacán. I truly enjoy the variety that each day brings.

7. Why did you choose the specific materials you work with ?

I believe life gradually aligned itself for that to happen. At the end of my academic career, I developed a contemporary piece inspired by Mesoamerican life, which was actually the first piece of my studio. This allowed me to immerse myself in the artisanal world of copper. 

8. What are the technical particularities of your creations ?

I believe in the symbiosis between the artisanal and technical worlds. Quoting Clara Porset, a pioneer of industrial design in Mexico, ‘a form made by machine is no less beautiful than one made by hand.’ I believe the technical strength of my pieces lies in the understanding and exploration of both worlds, which allows us to create unique contemporary pieces.

9. What advices could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works ?

Be consistent, nurture the relationships with your team and your suppliers, be patient, and learn from every mistake, especially at the beginning, when there are many.

10. If your works had to belong to a design movement, in which one would you define it ?

NeoBrutalism. 

11. What designers and artists have influenced you ?

Isamu Noguchi, Barbara Hepworth, and Leonora Carrington have deeply influenced my work. Noguchi’s fusion of organic and abstract forms, his use of natural materials, and his focus on creating harmony between art and the environment inspire me to create timeless, grounded pieces. Hepworth’s exploration of space and balance, particularly her use of negative space and tactile materials, has taught me the power of simplicity and form. Carrington’s surreal and symbolic approach encourages me to push the boundaries of creativity and incorporate the fantastical into my designs. Together, they’ve shaped my approach to blending emotion and materiality in design.

12. What contemporary designers do you appreciate ?

Claudia Comte, Pedro Reyes, Hector Esrawe Andres Anza. 

13. What contemporary artists (in any kind of art) have you been inspired by ?

I have been deeply inspired by Tadao Ando and James Turrell. Tadao Ando’s architectural approach, where he blends minimalism with a deep respect for nature and light, has influenced my understanding of space and materiality. His ability to create serene, contemplative environments has shaped how I think about design as a form of experience. James Turrell’s exploration of light and space is also incredibly inspiring. His work challenges our perception of reality and makes us aware of the subtle power of light. Turrell’s ability to transform simple environments into immersive, almost spiritual experiences encourages me to think more about how perception and emotion can be integrated into my own work. And of course, all the artisans I work with on a daily basis.

14. If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be ?

Refined, heavy, smooth, precise….hypnotizing. 

15. Is there anything you would like to add?

Doing what I’m passionate about and living from it is the most rewarding thing. Thanks for the interview that lets me show myself as a person beyond my pieces.

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Eating delicious. 

2. What is your greatest fear?

To lose the passion for creating. 

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Overthinking. 

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Laziness, arrogance.

5. Which living person do you most admire?

My nephew. 

6. What is your greatest extravagance?

My travels. 

7. What is your current state of mind?

Balance. 

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Being a multitasker. 

9. What is the quality you most like in a man ?

Mmm…mmm…deconstruction. 

10. What is the quality you most like in a woman ?

 The simple fact of resisting in this world.

11. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Super”,  “Love it”,  “Incredible”. 

12. Which talent would you most like to have?

To speak every language. 

13. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would change the way I manage stress through my stomach.

14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I believe that every day is an achievement. 

15. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

A bird. 

16. Where would you most like to live?

In a nice house in a quiet village with a beach.

17. What is your most treasured possession?

My ability to create. 

18. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Classism. 

19. What is your favorite occupation?

Visiting art museums. 

20. What is your most marked characteristic?

Determination and empathy. 

21. What do you most value in your friends?

Authenticity and support. 

22. Who are your favorite writers?

Bruno Munari, Avelina Lesper, Agatha Christie. 

23. Who is your hero of fiction?

Calcetín con Rombos Man. 

24. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Every woman who fought in the past so that I can do what I do today.

25. Who are your heroes in real life?

My family, my friends, my life partner.

26. What are your favorite names?

Julieta.

27. What is it that you most dislike?

Bureaucratic paperwork. 

28. What is your greatest regret?

Each decision I’ve made has brought me to where I am today.

29. How would you like to die?

Sleeping.

30. What is your motto?

Feel the fear and do it anyway.