Table gathering: an Hito of nostalgic experiences
Antonia Zapata and Laura Hoyos are the creators of Hito Estudio, a creative space where they focus on the art of setting up a table, sharing experiences and intimate spaces. We interviewed them and provided an insight in the creative process around food and table gatherings.
Interview: Sofia Estrada, Photography: courtesy of Hito Studio
What’s behind the foundation of Hito Estudio?
Behind Hito Estudio there is Antonia and Laura. Their universe, the meaning of friendship, a million shared tables, innumerable kitchen talks, a thousand calls, a hundred nicknames, a ton of laughs and also tears.
Why naming it Hito Studio?
The word Hito has two significant meanings for us. Besides the meaning of the word in Spanish, which translates to milestone, Hito means “person” in japanese. We believe in Hito as a person, which is constantly evolving and commuting, that through its experience, creates a statement of the table.
Why setting up a creative studio focused on gastronomy?
We grew up orbiting around the importance of food. For Antonia, growing up meant gathering around the table to taste Carlo’s (her father) broths and having her mom talking obsessively about food. For Laura was about visiting ginormous chocolate, cookies and candies factories with Papa Noel and having her mom adorably obsessive about tables and pictures. This was the beginning of everything. Our innocent nostalgia revolves around tables, food, and gatherings.
How did you meet each other and how would you describe your co-founder?
We met on our first day as Product Design students at the University. Since then they have been creating and designing together.
I (Antonia) would describe Laura as a free-spirited soul full of energy, ideas and inspiration. She’s bright, brilliant and sophisticated. She loves to question herself and the ones who surround her. Always curious, she’s especially fascinated about her roots and her past. Corn is her religion and she’ll take it with her everywhere she goes, —she even grew a corn plant on her balcony while living in Paris.
I (Laura) would describe Antonia as a pure intimate and lovable soul. She’s elegant, fondly charming, and curious. Salsa is her heart's rhythm. She is the third side of an equilateral and ancestral triangle. Sometimes I will find her in pluton and I love her for that. She makes coffee better than a Marzocco coffeemaker and she’s definitely the butter to my bread.
How is the creative process of translating your ideas to the table?
Everything is about a feeling. We look for references, we question ourselves. We tend to begin with an archive of questions such as: If you were to die, which would be the last food you would eat?
We think of the person, the brand or the collective we are designing for.
We also have a library of projects and people we admire such as Laila Gohar, Ananas Ananas, Marina Abramovic, Ethel Gilmore, close kitchen friends, our family traditions, and many other factors that inspire our practice.
Latin America is your source of inspiration, would you please enlarge?
Everything we do and create is inspired by our nostalgia, the taste of toasted Arepas in the morning, the feeling of being born and raised in a country where birds are our wake-up call, the sound of Cumbias and Boleros. We’re driven to take Colombia to the world
Tell us about your favourite collaborations with designers, artists, cooks, and creatives…
One of our favourite collaborations was with the Medellin based collective Aula, where we gathered around a table designed by Tblrs, Oficio and Fango as part of the table. We ate traditional empanadas, and the table became the centre, enhancing the importance of fire. The table faded into fire and people gathered around it to close an alluring Sunday afternoon.
Another fond Hito memory is Molde - Keyna x Hito Estudio, where we collaborated with Milan based, australian designer Nicole McLean. We created a synergy between our universes and created both edible and handcrafted jewels. The exhibition took place at the MAMM (Museum of Modern Art - Medellin, Colombia).
How does Hito smell and sound?
Hito smells fresh, spiced and citrusy. Some peculiar aromas we love: corn, nixtamal and leña, the steam of a rice pot with scallions, sticking the nose into a sourdough.
This is how Hito sounds.
Describe Hito with colours and visuals.
Cielo, Comal, Plato, Maíz.
Who does Hito talk to? Which is the target audience?
To our hitos.
What music is perfect for the gastronomic and table experience?
Our favourite playlist: #estoesunhito