From visual art to ceramics and traditional crafts, meet some of
the creatives shaping the future of Tijuana’s design scene.
Fernanda Uribe
BOSQUE
Fernanda Uribe is a visual artist and the mastermind behind BOSQUE, an immersive experience where sculpture and functional design meet. Presented as part of Tijuana Design Week at Bujazán Cinema in May 2024, the installation brought together hand sculpted miniature ceramics inspired by the flora and fauna that nurtures the biodiversity in jungles and forests.
Javier Gonzalez
Culinary Art School Tijuana
When Javier Gonzalez founded the Culinary Art School in Tijuana in 2003, it was the first school specializing in culinary arts, wine and hospitality in Northwest Mexico. As its student body and international acclaim grew, so too did its state-of-the-art school and workshop space with a new building designed by Tijuana-born architect Jorge Gracia. Gonzalez knew this multicultural border city was the perfect place to provide students with the opportunity to develop a world view and has since expanded to include Hotel Brecha.
Carla and Carla Sofia
Yerbabuena
Established by mother-daughter duo Carla and Carla Sofia, Yerbabuena is a platform for Mexican and international art, design and craftsmanship. The space represents a cultural community that also curates restored furniture, antiques and contemporary objects.
Daniel Meneses and José Silva
Makario
Ceramics is one of the oldest arts and at the same time one of the most modern. Founded by Daniel Meneses and José Silva, Makario’s handmade ceramics are sold all across the United States. Inspired by local geography, textures and modern forms of design, their stoneware combines aesthetics and functionality while also paying homage to traditional Mexican heritage.
Verónica Hernández
Object
An intercultural platform that promotes Mexican design, Object was established by Verónica Hernández in 2014. The pioneering design shop offers a selection of artists and designers focused mostly on safeguarding the country’s traditional crafts, through a shifting collection of pieces made of natural, noble and high quality materials.
Annie Alarcon and Juan Villa Vilencio
Lustre
Design is meant to be an opportunity for us to grow and if you spread that idea to communities on a micro level, design can be used at a macro level for progress. Run by co-creator and director Annie Alarcon and facilitator Juan Villa Vicencio, Lustre is a community-focused space that for all that connects art, design and architecture. Through their workshop and residency offerings, they aim to promote and share indigenous culture and traditions and give a voice to marginalized individual designers to share their stories.
Laura Estela Huerta and Gael Guerrero
Matiz Estudio
Laura Estela Huerta and Gael Guerrero are the Tijuana-based the creatives behind Matiz Estudio, a multifaceted design space developed to “share teachings and observations of materiality.” Together, the run both the physical storefront as well as workshops and events that aim to showcase the city as a hub for the design and arts scene.
