Creative Colombians: Alexander Calderon Romero

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Colombian Alexander works with a material called guadua -- in the bamboo family -- to create some impressive handicrafts. Check out his work below.

LCO: Which part of Colombia do you call home? How long have you lived there?
ACR: I call Bogotá home and I have lived here all my life.

LCO: You work with guadua to make products like lamps and jewelry boxes. Tell us a bit about the process of working with this material?
ACR: It is a nice material for the forms and textures it can give, yet is also complex because of the process you must go through before you work. Also it is limited for some designs, not uniform and very fibrous.  Of course, this could be a good feature.

LCO: How long have you been working with guadua and what was your first project?
ACR: I’ve been working with guadua about three years. My first project was a small table lamp that I still keep in my house because it is “mine”.

LCO: What has been your favorite project so far? Tell us about it. And the biggest?
ACR: My favorite project was when I made a lamp tower. It was a challenge! Also the carriage with cigarettes to put a bottle of liquor. That design is crazy. The biggest order was 40 decorative candles.

LCO: Where do you sell your guadua products?
ACR: The sale is directly with the customer by order here in Bogotá. I don’t have website at moment.

LCO: How does working with guadua differ from working with wood?
ACR:

• The guadua is not wood
• The guadua has other properties such as its tubular shape
• The guadua is more fibrous than wood
• The guadua retains more moisture
• The guadua can be an alternative to replace wood in some things like laminate flooring, furniture and other objects, so we could reduce some tree cutting

LCO: What other crafts are popular in Colombia?
ACR: Colombia has a variety of crafts:

• Las Guacamayas y la cerámica de Raquira Boyacá (Macaws and pottery)
• El barniz de Pasto (varnish)
• Las mochilas Arahuacas y Wayuu (backpacks)
• El sombrero vueltiao (hats)
• Las hamacas de Córdoba (hamocks)
• La cerámica negra de la Chamba Tolima (black pottery)

LCO: Tell us about one Colombian artist who inspires you and why.
ACR: I like the work of architect Simon Velez; he has very interesting structural designs with guadua.

LCO: Where are some of your favorite locations in Bogota to find artistic inspiration?
ACR: My favorite sites are the wetlands, la Candelaria and Suba -- the later is where I live in Bogotá.

Thanks Alex!

For more interviews with creative Colombians, have a look here.

NOTE: If anyone is interested in purchasing work from Alex, he can be reached by email at noldor4041@gmail.com or by Bogota number: 6870956 or mobile: 3143952508

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