Our Artisans
Luis Alberto Chávez Delgadillo
The man behind the leather.
My name is Luis Chávez, I am from Nicaragua, my passion is leather crafts.
I left my country a long time ago, searching for something that would fulfill my life.
In my previous jobs, I worked as many things: they were exhausting routines with uninterested employers, and the employees were non-existent, not to mention the lack of money I was earning.
The day came when I found myself unemployed in a family with two children.
Then I began to work with my hands.
I noticed that people liked my work, and that motivated me a lot.
I discovered that most people are kind and that social contact through someone who likes what I do, fills my spirit.
I feel kindness, solidarity and a feeling of acceptance from other people towards me that enhances me and makes me feel like I'm part of something.
I have met beautiful people who value my work, fellow craftsmen who are very supportive almost like a family, I have experienced all this in my time working on the street and who have given me back my faith in the humanity, and in a better world with less selfishness and with a sense of fraternity.
Crafts are my life and all that it entails. It may not be the best thing in the world but I do it with love for that special person and to whom I thank from my heart for the favour of buying some of my pieces.
Infinite thanks.
Marisa Ebsworth
The woman behind the metal.
Hola,
I’m Marisa, and the creator of Nembe.
A little about myself…
Born in the United States, when I was about six, we moved to Australia and settled here. I’ve worked in hospitality most of my life, predominately as a barista, as well as travelling in between whenever I could!
During my time as a barista, I fell in love with making coffee. I wanted to learn more about the farm to cup process, so in 2014 after living in New York for a few months, I travelled to Guatemala to further my knowledge of all things coffee.
And so began my love affair with Latin America.
I fell in love with the beautiful culture, stunning scenery, the history and the people (eh-emm a boy). I can honestly say I felt at home and would travel there as often as I could to explore and immerse myself.
During my time in Central and South America, more specifically in Colombia, I started to become interested in filigrana or filigree: the manipulation of metal and/or wire and found myself wanting to explore this more and improve my technique. I loved the trial and error of working with metal, and the incorporation of minerals.
As long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed creating in some capacity, from drawing to sewing and more recently writing, my creative outlets have come in many forms.
I studied Fashion and Textile design, graduating in 2011 with an Advanced Diploma and loved every minute of the design process, developing my ideas and watching them evolve and come to fruition.
I think, my favourite part of creating is designing, just putting my ideas on paper and letting my mind wander in whatever way it will.
Exploring the world of metal has been one of the best creative outlets for me so far, I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Stay tuned…