Xalli by Perla Valtierra

Photo by Fernando Etulain

Xalli is a six-piece collection designed by Perla Valtierra for NOUVEL. The collection comprises 2 small sizes in unlimited edition and 4 larger sizes in limited edition, numbered 100 pieces each.

The word Xalli means sand in Náhuatl, and alludes to the fact that the pieces are produced in sand molds. The technique was used in the ancient Egypt and is called “sand casting”, in which the glass is deposited and blown in a print previously marked in sand. Its handmade manufacture and the peculiar texture that remains on the surface makes them unique pieces.

Being unique and distinctive are fundamental values that define our brand, and the pieces of the Xalli collection are imbued with these values, firstly thanks to the manual skill of our master craftsmen, who make glass pieces of exceptional quality, and secondly thanks to our collaborations with designers like Perla with whom we share the concern of making objects that transcend in time.

Xalli

Duration: 02:10 minutes
Creative Direction: Nouvel
Video Production: Laguna
Sound Design: Dario Acuña

Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Perla Valtierra is the founder and designer of her brand since its conception in 2010. Led by Perla´s creative vision, she produces high-end, handcrafted ceramics in Mexico and comprises two workshops located in the Bajío area and of a team of 20 artisans and creatives.

With an international scope for profiling the best-handcrafted goods, Valtierra has trained and lived in Paris, Kyoto, and Brussels. Perhaps nothing defines her better than being an aesthete. An eternal explorer of objects, craft, and diverse cultures, she behaves as an alchemist who mixes clays and experiments with different glaze techniques.

Valtierra sometimes describes herself as a ceramist apprentice, more than a designer. She has practiced traditional pottery in various communities of Mexico, among them in Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and Oaxaca. The need to explore other techniques and cultures also has led her to extend her practice and research in Japan, Belgium, and France. Today, she continues experimenting in Mexico City where she resides.