Tangram and the infinite possibilities
Tangram is an ancient Chinese game with which you can build an infinite number of figures using only seven pieces. The Mexican jewelry brand Tangram took its name from this game, and this is also where the taste for proportion and geometry present in each of its designs arose. Manuel Ledesma, partner and co-founder of Tangram, tells us what they seek to express as a local jewelry brand, committed to Mexican design.
180º: Who makes up Tangram and what do they do?
Manuel: The partners and co-founders of TANGRAM, all Industrial Designers, are Paty Ledesma, who is specialized in new materials, she is in the area of production, administration and product design; Fernando Maldonado works in the pre-production area, 3D modeling and product design; Felipe Villanueva is in charge of graphic design, social media management and also product design. I studied Marketing at ITESM, I have also developed a career in art, in painting, and I have exhibited work in different cities in the country and abroad. At TANGRAM I carry out the commercial and financial area.
180º: What do you seek to express as a brand?
M: Tangram as a brand wants to make the design process more efficient from its conceptualization to the distribution of the final product, without leaving aside the value of the work put into each of its products. We seek to create trends, quality and be part of the vanguard of Design in the country and position ourselves in the best stores.
In terms of concept, a tangram is built from several geometric elements that, depending on their arrangement, will give shape to something new. Its infinite possibilities represent the creative spirit of the brand. Our pieces or collections start from the study of a topic, but we always seek to base it on design fundamentals, mathematical principles, geometry and balanced proportions.
180º: How did the project start?
M: The project began out of the concern of generating small pieces with high value, and the satisfaction of generating an entrepreneurial project. We started with a small collection of 11 silver pieces. The first piece was the Gato ring.
180º: What inspires the designs?
M: Everything! As designers we look for concepts that excite us. We start from different themes and materialize them to achieve our objective of creating a value proposition.
180º: Do you make collections or individual pieces?
M: Tangram was born with the objective of being a kind of encyclopedia, we want to take a concept, study it, interpret it and transform it into jewelry, the first collection was the beginning of this, the theme was tangram. Tangram is balance and symmetry, we sought that all the pieces in the collection had these characteristics through pure geometry and nature. Our next collection will be presented in the coming months.
180º: What is the process of creating the pieces?
M: Our design process always begins on paper, but we also seek to make use of technology through 3D modeling and printing. We like our pieces to have straight and defined lines. Subsequently, prototypes are printed to create the molds, in the end each piece passes through the hand of the master jeweler, who is in charge of finishing the work in the traditional process of casting the silver and final processes.
180º: Tell us about the materials you use.
M: We use silver, it is an extremely important material in the country, we like to support the trade and work of local silver. In addition, by making our pieces with a precious metal, we give intrinsic value to our designs. We have certifications from the Jalisco Jewelry Chamber that our pieces comply with the 925 law, which guarantees the purity of silver.
180º: How have you faced the great competition in the jewelry market?
M: As in all sectors you can fight with your competition or join them. We have participated in collective projects, we like to see what is happening in jewelry in the country and understand that there is an audience for everything.
180º: What is your favorite piece?
M: Mine is the bee because of the faceting, the weight of the piece and the delicacy, the detail of the hexagon on the chain
180º: How has your relationship with 180 GRADOS been?
M: Very good, from the beginning they opened their doors to us and they have received our brand with great acceptance, the public also likes it a lot. The relationship has been very good with all the areas and people that make up 180 GRADOS and we are excited to be part of the store.
Instagram: @tgram.mx