An experimental wood workshop based in Mexico City. Macario is a family team - Jorge Carmona (son), Heisei Carmona (daughter), and Macario Carmona (father).

@___macario

Interview with Jorge Carmona, Partner, Architect, Designer

“So in that way, knowledge continues to grow. It’s really beautiful that my father wants to give us this knowledge. That is really important for us, and that’s why we built this brand - to document the process. We put all of this knowledge into Macario’s pieces.”

— Jorge Carmona

Photo by Rosa Peralta. Macario’s Prismas collection (hand-carved tzalam)

What is the origin story of Macario, and what type of pieces do you create?

Macario was born with the intention to document the work of my father [Macario Carmona] who is a carpenter, ébéniste, and a sculptor.

His career has been working on specific pieces for large Mexican design brands. Macario is like a character that is not the first person you see when you look at these big brands. The Macario brand was born with the intention to document all of his processes, and all of the textures and hand carving that my father has developed throughout his career. For years, he has taught my sister [Heisei] and me all this knowledge of carpentry. It’s been amazing to learn firsthand from our father. For many historic jobs—carpentry, construction, metal,—you gain knowledge and can pass that knowledge to your children. So in that way, knowledge continues to grow. It's really beautiful that my father wants to give us this knowledge. That is really important for us, and that's why we built this brand - to document the process. We put all of this knowledge into Macario's pieces.

Another theme of Macario is our connection to Jilotepec, Estado de Mexico [A city located two hours north of Mexico City]. We own land in Jilotepec that is surrounded by a lot of nature. Our goal is to build a workshop & home on this land. We will continue to use materials from this area, and continue to create pieces there.

Tell us about Macario’s inspiration and influences. Where do y’all find new ideas and energy?
Jorge: Most of the time, the piece [of wood] tells us how to be modified and what we need to remove - it might say "Hey, maybe you can take this out," and “Maybe you can also add some other material in these other parts of the piece”, you know? Sometimes, for example, worms may have lived in the wood at some point in the tree’s lifetime. Sometimes they make drawings in the wood [burrows/lines]. So, maybe bringing these drawings to life or making these details obvious can make a sculptural piece special.
How does music impact your design?
Jorge: In Macario, music is special because every time that we work on a piece, we listen to various kinds of music. Sometimes we listen to cumbia, and the next song might be Charles Aznavour [French]. Perhaps it's not obvious that we are inspired by music, but music is always part of our creation process.
Are there any other topics that influence you?
Jorge: Architecture. My sister and I are both architects. The facade of a building, the repetition of one texture on a building can have a huge impact. You can find the same texture that you see on a facade on a piece of furniture, on a sculpture, or an object’s surface.
It's been a busy year for Macario. What have you learned in the last year?
Jorge: That God is in the little details, and that every fight is the same fight. For instance, it's a fight to take care of your body, it's a fight to take care of your food, it's a fight to have a good life. So if you take care of every detail and you win a small fight every day, you are going to live a good life. That's what I learned this year. Taking care of the small details because if you don't take care of those, how can you take care of the big things, you know?
What motivates Macario to continue down your path?
Jorge: We see Macario like a dream we want to live. Having that clear image inspires us every day. We continue to build the workshop in Jilotepec & check on the progress every two weeks. The evolution and growth of our dream inspires us and motivates us to continue designing, thinking about materials, and seeking new projects. That's the goal we have: to build our workshop that will be surrounded by nature and be a space for free ideas and learning from nature.

Tell us about the design community here in Mexico. What is unique about this community?

Here in Mexico, we have many different types of wood, materials, and weather.

So it's easy to find a tree or different materials that feed creativity in people. Also, there are informal workshops all over the country. You can find skilled wood workers, metal workers, & stone workers on every street in Mexico City. They work with their own hands, which feeds creativity. Designers work closely with these artisans. You always can find a carpenter that thinks differently. If you are lucky, their techniques might be unique, and they can help you to solve a project with different eyes. Also, the supply of workshops leads to friendly competition on price, quality, & technique. That's how people continue to grow & feed creativity in design.

Jorge showing Obra Fam the strategy of hand-carving

Can you tell us about some of your rituals within Macario?
Jorge: Our current workshop is located at our grandmother’s home.
We start each piece or project with a conversation and a meal. We prepare food at the workshop, and begin drawing all the ideas that we have. But while we work, we eat a meal and might have a beer. Because, you know, we are family. My dad, my sister, and me. That is our ritual. First, we eat, we talk about our lives, we ask each other, "Hey, how are you? There's a lot of time that I haven't seen you.”
Tell us about some of your favorite rituals in your daily life, outside of the workshop.
Jorge: One of my favorite rituals is sharing time with my father on the bicycle. My father used to complete triathlons. He taught me how to run, how to ride a bike, and how to swim. But he prefers riding the bike, so we do this together quite often. And it really is a ritual, because you have to get prepared. You have to put on all your funny clothes [both chuckle], organize your equipment, pack your snacks and water. It's our ritual. And you can apply that also to running, but I think bike riding with my father is special.
What is your favorite recipe to make at home?
Jorge: Years ago, my uncle taught me how to make Brochetas [similar to a kebab]. He said they represented the sky (chicken/bird), sea (fish), and earth (beef). That has been my favorite recipe to make, because they are easy and they are delicious. You can also add mushrooms & other ingredients.
How does Macario recharge?
Macario: We love to go out for a good meal. Going to a restaurants and talking, the three of us. It’s really special for us. That's how we recharge.
What does a dream vacation for Macario look like?
Jorge: I’d repeat one we already took as a family - Bacalar, Mexico. It's a lagoon in Quintana Roo [Mexican state on the Yucatán Peninsula]. My father and I rode on bikes from Mexico City to Bacalar. My mother, sister, and our dogs joined us in the truck.
You can see seven colors of water in the lagoon. It was a dream trip, and I would love to do it again.
If Macario created a restaurant, a coffee shop, or a bar, what would the concept be?
Jorge: It would be a family cantina. Macario is about family, feeling together, and enjoying time together. There are two special restaurants for us here in Mexico City - they both serve Spanish food and have a cantina vibe.

Photo by Rosa Peralta. From left to right: Jorge, Macario, & Heisei Carmona

How do you decide which material to use?

We usually use unique wood that can be hand carved. Some of our favorite types of woods to work with are huanacaxtle, parota, & caoba wood.

Or if we are using a more common wood, we try to play with texture or play with the gubias (chisels). There are many types of gubias and infinite ways to use them. You can make many textures by hand-carving wood. But it really depends on the wood and what the wood wants. Every piece of wood has its own nature, its own soul. There's a piece inside of the material that wants to get out, so we try to help this piece to get out by using the correct gubia.

Do you have a favorite type of tool?

Jorge: The gubia [both chuckle]