“I have tried to make my constructions in a simple way, as people in the communities know how to make them. When you work in this way, the new harmonizes with what already exists, and everyone is happy.”
— Oscar Hagerman
Oscar Hagerman is a cornerstone of Mexican design. Born in La Coruña, Spain in 1936, he has dedicated his career to collaborating with rural communities and artisans, blending traditional aesthetics with contemporary design. His work spans houses, schools, and, notably, internationally recognized chair designs.
Hagerman’s Arrullo chair, inspired by a popular Mexican design, gained significant acclaim and was reintroduced into workshops across Mexico. Through its reproduction in local furniture workshops, the Arrullo chair shed its "designer" label and became a common feature in Mexican homes, markets, and roadside shops—a staple of Mexican design.
In honor of Hagerman's impactful work, we commissioned two of his designs, the Arrullo and Ruiseñor chairs, to be part of the Manifesto design Festival experience.
Craftmanship: Artisan from Masiaca, an indigenous town in southern Sonora, in collaboration with the Indigenous Artisan Cooperative of Sonora, with support from Lutisuc. Collaborators: Tabb Architecture Materials: Leather and mesquite Carpentry: Macizo Photography: Seryansau
Oscar Hagerman, 2019. Sillas de México, woven wood chairs. Kurimanzuto, Mexico City.