Domingos Tótora

About

Domingos Tótora, a native of Maria da Fé, a town nestled in the Mantiqueira Mountains in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, has returned to his hometown after his studies, choosing cardboard (recycled material) as the cornerstone of his work, which navigates between art and design. His exquisitely crafted pieces include vases, fruit bowls, centerpieces, and furniture, drawing inspiration from the primary colors of nature, such as tree bark, stones, and earth. The texture of his objects captures the play of light and shadow, echoing the intensity of sunlight as it traverses the valleys.

Tótora's prototypes are developed through a simultaneous process where conception and execution go hand in hand, complementing each other on all levels, from raw material to economic and social aspects. In Tótora's work, discarded cardboard is mixed with water and glue. The resulting pulp forms the basis for a "new material" that approaches wood in terms of strength. The designer conceived this material after noticing the large quantity of discarded cardboard from supermarkets in his city. The resulting pieces are furniture, objects, and sculptures handcrafted by local artisans under the guidance and direction of Domingos Tótora. Created through a sustainable process, his work is a prime example of initiatives in Brazil that promote craftsmanship to generate income for disadvantaged populations while respecting the environment. It addresses social and environmental dimensions, which are crucial considerations in contemporary design evaluation.

Tótora has been honored with the Design Award from the Museum of Brazilian House 2010 in the furniture category, the TOP XXI Award for Sustainable Design, and his work was selected as one of the best of 2011 by the Design Museum in London - Brit Insurance Designs of The Year 2011. In 2022, ' mago Sculpture’ by Domingos Tótora was one of the finalists of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize.