Maria Jacome

My name is Maria, and I am passionate about creating things that are fun, modular, versatile and most of all, have as small as possible carbon footprint.

I have been a teacher since 2006 and love inspiring my students to create, build, and explore.

Building has always been a passion for me. I was the child who preferred to play with the hammer and nails. As I grew older I had planned on being an architect. Life took many twists and turns, and I focused on my second choice of being a teacher.

This year, however, with COVID quarantine forcing us to stay put, I used that time to reflect on my work and my passions. Life is short, and what better time than now to pursue my life long dream; design.

I was born in Guatemala and have learned a lot from my family and upbringing about not wasting anything. We were always finding uses for things even stuff that others might consider garbage. And this has inspired me to try to reduce waste as much as possible by creating useful products out of discarded materials.

There is beauty in the most unlikely places. I believe that every scar and mark adds to the character, history and uniqueness of an object. There is a traditional Japanese aesthetic called Wabi-Sabi which is a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay; life and death.

Through this line of thinking, I often leave items untreated, unpreserved which may lead to it’s own biological breakdown. So you can return the object and it’s material back to the earth to naturally biodegrade. Accepting that even objects may have a natural cycle of breakdown, helps alleviate the anxiousness we often feel with trying the to make things permanent. The impermanence of the materials allow space for use of other materials, tools and objects, an opportunity for change and growth: Wabi-Sabi.

I primarily enjoy working with wood, although I sew, paint, and sculpt too. Lots of what I build are products for the home, play, and educational tools, and I am open to new ideas.

Sincerely,

Maria Jácome
The Makery Designs