Fontal Family by Oscar Tusquets Blanca for Expormim grows

The last furniture fair in Las Vegas has been the setting for the presentation of Expormim’s new pieces made from rattan.

Rattan 2012 is Expormim’s new collection, in which the company has revisited and renewed some of its signature pieces. For this purpose, they requested the collaboration of well-known designers. Two of the pieces that have been presented during the prestigious Milan event are “Fontal” and “Náutica,” designed by Oscar Tusquets Blanca and Mut Design respectively.

Expormim has been using rattan since its foundation in the 1960s. This time around, they wanted to take advantage of the material’s lightweight, flexible, sustainable and natural qualities, while innovating in terms of features. The results are pieces which use rattan in ways that diverge from its traditional role as a skin to cover a hidden structure; there is a movement toward visually light, contemporary structures.

FONTAL

Designed by Oscar Tusquets Blanca, Fontal’s look reminds us of a traditional chair that has been given a new appearance, yet it

maintains lightness, warmth and charm.

Its creator has stated that “the project was born from the desire to take back rattan as a noble material, building on the rich

tradition of craftsmanship in our country that supports its use.”

To that end, he tried to give the hundred-year-old technique a new look, which has been achieved by substituting the traditional

strutting and joint wrapping for a twinning technique to join one reed to the next. With this innovative option, the designer has

created a flexible yet resistant structure that is very lightweight.

He defines the chair as “light, warm, charming and luxurious in the true meaning of the word.”

NÁUTICA

design by Mut Design

Náutica is a hanging chair that pays homage to one of the first pieces created by Expormim in the 1970s. The swing, created by

Mut Design, is intended to surprise. Like the previous piece, it hits the nail on the head in its return to and reinvention of the use of rattan. As it hangs from a tree branch, or from a free-standing structure, Náutica stands out for the subtle play of shadows it creates as it moves – shadows which suggest the play of sunlight on ocean waves. Despite its visual lightness, the piece is characterized by its strength and resistance. It is also adequate for any setting, whether interior or exterior; it is an invitation to have fun with its movement and its design. As its creators have explained, “Náutica is the result of an attention to detail, a desire for provocation and a respect for tradition in using rattan as the central material in its design.”