Reviving craftsmanship: Natalia Criado’s metalwork journey

Colombian-born designer Natalia Criado breathes new life into ancient techniques, blending them with contemporary design to create unique tableware collections in her Milan studio. Her focus on metal, craftsmanship, and collaboration shapes her distinctive approach to design.

In this fifth episode of Behind, a video series by DesignWanted where we visit design studios to uncover their spaces and work approaches, we explore the creative world of Natalia Criado. Her Milan-based studio is a place where tradition and modernity merge, offering a unique perspective on contemporary design rooted in craftsmanship.

Originally trained in jewelry design, Criado’s journey began with metal, a material that continues to serve as the foundation of her creative process. After spending years honing her craft, she pivoted to tableware, launching her project ‘Joyas en Casa’, where she applies the same techniques she once used for creating delicate jewelry to designing cutlery, bowls, plates, and other objects that transform the everyday dining experience.

Criado’s work is rooted in the preservation and revival of ancient techniques, many of which are slowly disappearing in an era of mass production and industrialization. She is particularly drawn to traditional silversmithing methods, such as working with metal on the lathe, a skill she learned through her collaboration with master artisans in Italy.

These collaborations are at the heart of her design process; her initial sketches, often simple and playful, are handed over to skilled artisans who bring them to life with painstaking precision. This process, which Criado likens to a shared language, enables her to fuse her creative vision with centuries-old craftsmanship.

The result is a body of work that not only honors the past but also introduces a fresh, modern aesthetic to the world of tableware. Her pieces are imbued with a sense of ritual and history, reflecting influences from both European and pre-Columbian cultures. By exploring the connections between the act of dining and ancient traditions, Criado’s designs offer a deeper understanding of the shared, communal experiences that take place around the table.

Her creative process is meticulous, starting with mood boards and sketches, evolving through experimentation with materials like metal and glass. The final products are refined using techniques like diamond-cut finishing, which gives her pieces a distinctive matte texture that contrasts elegantly with the sleek lines of modern design. These finishing touches are often completed in her studio, where she and her team work closely with artisans to perfect the final details of each piece.

In addition to metal, Criado has expanded her material palette to include glass, creating a comprehensive collection of tableware that now spans over 40 pieces. The ritual of dining, central to her design philosophy, is reflected in each item, which is thoughtfully designed to enhance the dining experience through both form and function. Her bowls, plates, and cups are not just utilitarian objects; they are artistic expressions that invite people to engage more deeply with the act of sharing a meal.

Through her work, Natalia Criado is breathing new life into traditional craftsmanship while expanding the possibilities of contemporary design. Her Milanese studio serves as a creative hub where these ideas take shape, allowing her to continue her exploration of material, technique, and collaboration.