There are infinite ways of remembering someone important. For some, it could be a painting, a photograph, or a personal memento. But for Décima, inspiration came from the thread of life.
Daniel Avila, Vania Gamez, Josué Luis and Mariana Gómez started their business in the summer of 2020.
“We started out as a pandemic project,” says Daniel, co-founder of Décima. “Four friends who studied industrial design and enjoy brainstorming together.”
While bouncing ideas off of each other, they became inspired by the work of Petros Vrellis, who mainly works with thread as an artistic medium.
“We started researching and testing with different materials, fibers and techniques until we found a combination that suited the project.”
To create their artwork, they use computer software to translate digitized portraits into a series of lines which then serve as a basic template.
These unique portraits are produced in their Mérida workshop. The entire process takes about 12 hours and around 3,000 to 4,000 separate weaves to complete.
The name Décima was inspired by Décima in Greek mythology. She was one of the Fates who wove and measured the destiny of all mortals by a thread.
“This is our take on the thread of life,” says Daniel.
The team sees their work as a tangible way of weaving memories.
“One of the first ideas I had was to create a portrait of my grandmother, who had recently passed away. A special and tangible way to honor someone you care about.”
Every portrait is custom made and great care is taken while capturing the unique personality of each subject.
They choose to work with carpenters who specialize in Tzalam wood, which is native to Yucatán, creating a connection to the place where the artwork is created.
The team behind Décima is now planning to branch out and create an extensive line of home decor products.
“Industrial design has given me a chance to shape things that I conceive, desire and that make me curious,” says Daniel.
“This style of producing portraits is lots of fun, but we are looking to explore new opportunities to grow our brand into other spaces. We’re always looking to grow as designers”.
See Décima on Instagram. Contact Daniel at decimataller@gmail.com or 938-383-7247.
