Cactus Chairs!!!!!!

Me being Mexican, I really really really appreciate these cactus chairs!!! WOW not only do they look awesome but they look like one of my absolutely favorite foods!!!!! CACTUS!!! I know what ur thinking cactus?... eeeeww!!! actually it's delicious depending on how you prepare it. My mom always makes me a kick ass cactus salad which basically has cactus that she has boiled cut in strips or kind of shredded or diced, with diced onion, tomato, chopped cilantro and a hint of lime. DELICIOUS!! You can also grill them or lightly toast them with some salt on a "comal" which is a cast iron flat pan with no sides. but if you dont have a comal, a non stick skillet will do the trick. mmmm now I even want corn with nopales on the grill!!! mmmm with beans and my mom's hot sauce!! yeah you cant get more mexican than that ha ha ha ha ha!! whatever, I love my food. When my dad took me to Ziguatanejo, Mexico, I had some absolutely AMAZING cactus tacos. I cant even describe the flavor cuz they were so damn good!! LOL anyway my dad rocks... Ok well check out these Cactus chairs by Designer Valentina Gonzalez. This is truly a work of art VERY creative!!! I love me some nopales!! (spanish for cactus)

Born in Mexico in the late ’70s and with studies on Industrial Design and Indoors Architecture, she reinterprets the classical Louis XV French style to a bright coloured Nopal cactus-like prickled chair. Bringing forward her European and Mexican aesthetic values, she manages to experiment with different textures, materials and colours, thus creating an eye-catching pair of chairs.
In the 18th century Rococo style, which took pleasure in asymmetry, the practice of leaving elements unbalanced for effect is called “contraste”. In Valentina’s Prickly Pair Chairs, the asymmetry and “contraste” are extended even more into a furniture project born out of the creative experience of a Mexican designer in Europe.

The Nopal cactus symbolizes Mexican heritage and national pride. The blend of these cultures is evident in this ‘matching’ pair of chairs. As the designer herself quotes: “Prickly Pair Chairs respects the original 18th century chair, but concludes that its new, hybrid form synthesizes the ‘best of both worlds’; it evokes nostalgia for what was left behind and helps facilitate a sense of belonging in a new environment by fusing two powerful cultural symbols”.