MANU BAÑÓ
Manu Bañó was born in Valencia, Spain in 1990. after studying industrial design at UCH CEU University in Valencia and a master’s degree in furniture and lighting, he joined Magnus Long Studio in London and collaborated in projects for Central Saint martins university. Then he moved to Mexico City in 2013 where he currently lives and works.
Manu Bañó
The design of OBJ-10 originates in the doors, two symmetrical rectangles that, when hammered in their central area, deform to create an opening: a slit that invites you to slide your hand and discover its interior. The cabinet is a mono-material piece of copper, both on the outside and inside. The external surface retains the raw finish of the copper, allowing the marks of the production process, the heat of the fire, and the artisan’s fingerprints to express themselves. In contrast, the mirror-polished interior reveals a glint of copper in its purest state.
Manu Bañó
Two suspended copper sheets, parallel to each other, are hammered to create openings at their top and bottom, allowing light to be projected both upward and downward. The design strikes a balance between indirect light which illuminates the ceiling and a focal light which projects onto the table, with both light sources independently controllable. The exterior of the lamp is patinated in a dark graphite shade, while the interior shows the natural, warm color of copper, offering a visual contrast that enhances its presence in the space.
Manu Bañó
This series explores the reflective property of copper, which, when polished, generates a mirror surface. With the purpose of being sculptural pieces, they occupy the space that would normally be taken by a painting on a wall. Copper, tempered by fire, abandons its two-dimensional form to occupy a three-dimensional space through human manipulation. In its finish, the marks of the material’s production process are evident, without patinas or polish.
Manu Bañó
Tempered by fire, copper abandons its two-dimensional form to occupy a three-dimensional space through human manipulation. Its surface reflects the material’s journey, the piece retains the marks of its production process. The table, with concentric hammering, creates a support surface that, when duplicated on its underside, shapes the base. The separation between the two sheets not only aims to display books but also, in an aesthetic and deliberate act, reveals the two sides as distinct, detached, symmetrical, and identical.
Manu Bañó
Two identical and symmetrical pieces, polished on both faces, make up the floor mirror. Hammering not only aims to give texture to the piece but also to deform it to create volume and structure, allowing it to stand on its own. It is a monolithic object that occupies the space normally taken by a sculpture. The piece is approached as an honest testimony to its own manufacturing, a formal exercise without intellectual pretensions.
Manu Bañó
This series explores the reflective property of copper, which, when polished, generates a mirror surface. With the purpose of being sculptural pieces, they occupy the space that would normally be taken by a painting on a wall. It consists of the same object duplicated in symmetry, one concave and the other convex, designed to be displayed together as a single work. Copper, tempered by fire, abandons its two-dimensional form to occupy a three-dimensional space through human manipulation. In its finish, the marks of the material's production process are evident, without patinas or polish.
Manu Bañó
OBJ-04 is a modular shelving system. It starts from a steel sheet obtained in commercial format to which only several laser cuts are made to give it the function of displaying objects. It is made of hot rolled steel, which is left raw without eliminating scratches or defects resulting from its manufacture and can grow in any direction, vertically and horizontally, as much as desired. You can display objects or leave the shelf empty as a sculptural piece, eliminating its practical function and increasing its aesthetic ambition.
Manu Bañó
Obj-03 is born from a sheet of paper, a gesture, a cut, and a fold. The cut, once folded, allows the sheet to stand on its own, without falling, and in turn serves as a screen to receive the light. The led stripe is hidden on the back and contained in a solid steel bar. The weight of this part is essential to give stability to the lamp. Thus, all the parts fulfill an indispensable function for the object. The idea was to design a lamp with the minimum possible elements and a single material, steel. The lamp is composed of a square of 18 gauge sheet metal and on its back, a solid machined steel bar that contains the led lighting. I decided to oxidize the entire lamp to make it matte so that the light reflection would be soft and diffused.
Manu Bañó
OBJ-02 stool is composed of a repetition of brass tubes. Each one is cut in half and bent independently, creating the seat and legs. The brass is preserved unsealed and with all the defects of its manufacture and handling. Also, when bending the tube halves, the tube must be heated and this creates the darker visible parts of the bench. Over time the entire bench will age and change its appearance.
Manu Bañó
OBJ-02 bench is composed of a repetition of brass tubes. Each one is cut in half and bent independently, creating the seat and legs. The brass is preserved unsealed and with all the defects of its manufacture and handling. Also, when bending the tube halves, the tube must be heated and this creates the darker visible parts of the bench. Over time the entire bench will age and change its appearance.
Manu Bañó
OBJ-01 is an understandable simple gesture, an object that needs no explanation. At a glance, it reveals its material, its manufacturing process, its function, and its use. A plate of raw brass material cut by laser and assembled by hand with a rubber hammer and no welding joinery, Its size responds to the modulation and format of the material in its commercial standards. Pure geometric figures build the lighting fixture; a rectangle, a circle, and a cylinder at the back which contains the LED light spot. The circle, then cut out, adopts the function of a screen and can rotate 360 degrees to direct the light at will. OBJ-01 is the first solo work by the Valencian designer, resident in Mexico City, Many Bano. It is part of an open collection of simple objects based on the purity of raw materials, industrial processes, and simple gestures that cause a specific function.
Manu Bañó
OBJ-01 is an understandable simple gesture, an object that needs no explanation. At a glance, it reveals its material, its manufacturing process, its function, and its use. A plate of raw steel material cut by laser and assembled by hand with a rubber hammer and no welding joinery, Its size responds to the modulation and format of the material in its commercial standards. Pure geometric figures build the lighting fixture; a rectangle, a circle, and a cylinder at the back which contains the LED light spot. The circle, then cut out, adopts the function of a screen and can rotate 360 degrees to direct the light at will. OBJ-01 is the first solo work by the Valencian designer, resident in Mexico City, Many Bano. It is part of an open collection of simple objects based on the purity of raw materials, industrial processes, and simple gestures that cause a specific function.
Manu Bañó
At a glance, it reveals its material, its manufacturing process, its function and its use. A plate of raw metal, that can be steel, stainless steel or brass, cut by laser and assembled by hand with a rubber hammer and no welding joinery. Its size responds to the modulation and format of the material in its commercial standards.
Manu Bañó
OBJ-02 is a low chair composed of a repetition of brass tubes. Each one is cut in half and bent independently, creating the back, seat, and legs. The brass is preserved unsealed and with all the defects of its manufacture and handling.
