THE BREWING

THIS RAISED COPPER VESSEL IS A TRIBUTE TO MY CUBAN HERITAGE AND THE DAILY RITUALS OF MY CHILDHOOD IN MIAMI. MODELED AFTER THE OCTAGONAL BASE OF A TRADITIONAL CAFETERA, IT CAPTURES THE EXACT GEOMETRY OF THE OBJECT THAT WAS ALWAYS ON THE STOVE. GROWING UP, MY MOTHER USED ONE OF THESE EVERY SINGLE MORNING TO BREW HER COFFEE. BY TRANSLATING THIS INDUSTRIAL, EVERYDAY FORM INTO HAND-RAISED COPPER, I WANTED TO HONOR THE WARMMTH OF THAT COFFEE AND THE CULTURE IT REPRESENTS IN MY LIFE. THE CHOICE OF THE PHYSICAL TECHNIQUE IS DEEPLY INTENTIONAL. SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS AT THE BENCH, FORMING AND PLANISHING THE FACETED WALLS, THE LABOR-INTENSIVE PROCESS OF RAISING THE METAL BEGAN TO MIRROR THE PATIENCE, DEDICATION, AND REPETITION OF THOSE DAILY FAMILY RITUALS. LEFT WITH A HAMMERED TEXTURE, THE SURFACE STANDS AS A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE MAKER’S MARK, ELEVATING A FAMILIAR HOUSEHOLD STAPLE INTO A LASTING, SCULPTURAL CELEBRATION OF MY ROOTS AND CULTURE.