Ceiba Design Collective

Uniquely. Designed. Objects. We have come to understand our potential as well as our need to collaborate with others in order to keep living from our work.

WHO WE ARE

The word CEIBA has its origins in an ancient pre-Columbian language, and refers to a mythological tree that bonds the universe with the human world. This large, tropical tree still holds a very special place in our culture and it represents a profound common ground for us, Mesoamerican and South-American people. CEIBA is a collective of artists, artisans, designers and creative people,

who seek a fair space to create, build, think and dream of a better way to make things. Within our collective everyone has their own skills and tasks, from woodworking and leather crafting to sewing, printmaking and photography. Our main strength as a collective is our ability to solve problems, to collaborate in order to improve our work and to rely on each other’s abilities and experience to bring this project forward. In a world where pyramidal hierarchy and greed has lead small-craft people to struggle, we have chosen partnership over dominance. As craftspeople, some of the main challenges we have to face are related to the way we are seen by our society. The value and recognition of artisanal work greatly varies in different countries. An artisan’s craft in a developed country might be a luxurious and expensive item, because in such societies most goods are mass-produced, and artisanal objects are unique and require high-quality materials, time and specialized craftsmanship. But for the same artisan in a un-industrialized country, their craft might not be as valued since people in this societies have the perception handmade things are a poor choice and are now looking forward to factory made, hi-tech and fashion goods. It is in this context that the Internet has been and is such a great hope for small-scale shops like CEIBA. Because it allows us to reach the world, to communicate with a larger audience, and to be found by people that want to make a difference through their consumer choices. Many artisans in Central America face a lot of pressure from mass manufactured cheap products overflowing the markets. This situation has lead to the closure of thousands of small-scale workshops and people migrating to factories in order to have a work opportunity. Is now more important than ever, to find new ways for craftspeople in these regions to overcome these obstacles and keep their trade alive. At CEIBA we are committed with the preservation of the small workshops in our region, and we know the only real way of doing this is by supporting each other, working together, improving our own craft and searching for a wider group of people who likes and supports our work.