The floral design studio Sauvage immerses us this Barcelona Design Week in a dream of Gramineas and agave flowers, in its first installation for RI HOUSE that can be visited until July 20th, 2022. We spoke with Chabeli Rodríguez and Laura González about the symbolism of their work and why question today’s fast-paced world.
HOW DID YOUR ROMANCE WITH FLOWERS START?
Chabeli: It was a natural impulse at a time when I needed to do only things that would make me very happy.
Laura: It has been totally random, “by chance”. Thanks to a good friend who presented me with the opportunity and I said yes! Since I was little I have dedicated a large part of my life to painting and for me flowers represent the possibility of playing with colors and shapes with a totally different material and that, like painting, I love.
TO CREATE, IT IS KEY TO OBSERVE, LISTEN… WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT YOUR ENVIRONMENT?
Ch: I think that for both Laura and myself, nature itself has always been our first source of inspiration.
L: Music, movies, books and art are always inexhaustible sources of inspiration but for me it is the sensations that all these stimuli produce in me, life itself and of course nature, what pushes me to do what I want. I make.
WHAT IS YOUR SPACE LIKE, THE SPACE YOU LOVE?
Ch: It would be an ambiguous and calm space, between an interior and an exterior.
L: My space is my refuge and most intimate place where I can relax and forget about the outside world for a moment. It is where I recharge energy so natural light is fundamental as well as tranquility and proximity to the sea.
YOUR STYLE CLEARLY OSCILLATES BETWEEN THE SAVAGE AND THE FORMAL, WHAT IS HEAVIER?
Ch: It has always been savage, we like it whenever we can collect from the environment and not only work with flowers and ornamental greens. Then we complement with flowers that we consider exquisite and that of course change with the season. We are always excited to be able to acquire them because we love them.
L: For me the natural, the unpredictable and uncontrollable is always more interesting and beautiful. The wild represents freedom, it can be aggressive, delicate and rough at the same time, which for me is tremendously interesting and attractive.
IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE A FLOWER?
Ch: You can’t, but Lathyrus for its delicacy and aroma. It is the pea flower.
L: I couldn’t pick just one. But I can say that I am very excited when I find them by surprise in the field in their natural state as part of the landscape, providing color. They are those and it is there where I like the flowers the most.