IKEA ÖMSESIDIG Collection Celebrates Latin American Artists

IKEA has collaborated with nine Latin American creatives from the design, fashion, food, architecture, and art world to create a new limited collection called ÖMSESIDIG.

ÖMSESIDIG pays homage to Latin America’s various cultures, crafts, and expressions through the designs of nine local creatives. ÖMSESIDIG is a Swedish word that means “mutual,” and it represents the mutual curiosity to create and learn from each other.

The ÖMSESIDIG collection consists of 30 products, from glass- and tableware to decorations and textiles. These products help set the mood for celebrations and gatherings.

The new IKEA collection explores the tradition of coming together and culture in Latin America with creatives from Mexico, Chile, and Colombia.

The ÖMSESIDIG collection will be available in stores worldwide in April.

“We were curious to learn what would happen when different cultural traditions, crafts, and expressions mashed up with the avant-garde scene of design, fashion, food, architecture, and art. The result is a vibrant collection that celebrates the diverse talents of our collaborators, where each creative brings their own rich perspective and approach to their design” Friso Wiersma, designer at IKEA.

The 30-piece collection is comprised of products that encourage and help people celebrate and socialize around food and music, with a selection of items to set the atmosphere for a great time – no matter skillset, space, or budget constraints.

It includes glass- and tableware, decorations, a candle holder, a stool, textiles, cushion covers, and a cooler bag. It also includes two different unique versions of the FRAKTA as well as three different covers for the SYMFONISK picture frame with Wi-fi speaker.

With the ÖMSESIDIG rice paper lampshades by Mexican designer Liliana Ovalle and the ÖMSESIDIG garland by Trini Guzmán, the designers share personal takes on how to bring life and light to any gathering. The ÖMSESIDIG garland for table setting comes with blank pages made to be colored in.

The ÖMSESIDIG collection aims to capture parts of the richness of Latin America’s different traditions in culture, craft, and expression – highlighting the contrasts that are as diverse as the region’s population and the common elements that unify.

The designs are based on each designer’s angle and approach. For Abel Cárcamo Segovia’s kitchen utensils, the curved shapes and free-flowing, organic lines were inspired by the cueca – the national dance of Chile.

“As I thought about what story I wanted to tell, I realized I wanted to spotlight the role of dancing in Chilean culture. I started thinking about how I could channel the movement and rhythm of the choreography in the traditional cueca to incorporate in my design”, says Abel Cárcamo Segovia, product designer from Chile. 

The three ÖMSESIDIG panels for the SYMFONISK picture frame Wi-Fi speaker are designed by Chilean muralist and artist Trini Guzmán and Colombian artist Diana Ordóñez. The panels feature bold, colorful patterns and can be hung on the wall as eye-catching art pieces. The panel designed by Diana Ordóñez draws inspiration from the vibrant carnival tradition of Colombia.

“The mask is a kind of costume that allows us to be another character. Colombian culture has many festivals, and masks are used as a way of expression, a moment when you can be a monster, a bull, a cow, a woman, or a man. For me, the mask is an interpretation of the many characters inside us, ” says Diana Ordóñez.

A close look at the design will reveal takes on some of Colombia’s rich flora and fauna in the details, the orchid among them. Meanwhile, the colourways make for a more abstract nod to the different natural landscapes that the country has to offer.

The Designers of the IKEA ÖMSESIDIG Collection

Liliana Ovalle, Product Designer, Mexico

Liliana is a product designer that works with a wide range of materials and processes to explore the expressive aspect of objects. She studied product design at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México and later a Master’s degree Royal College of Art in London. Her designs reflect narratives that often draw on her Mexican background, from referencing situations observed in the urban context to exploring vernacular craft techniques.

Diana Ordóñez, artist, Colombia

Diana Ordonez is a neo-muralist, illustrator, and graffiti artist who has established herself as an important reference in Latin American graffiti. She has a Master’s in plastic and visual arts. She is known for her colorful, positive, and vibrant expressions.

Abel Cárcamo Segovia, product designer, Chile

Abel designs objects and furniture by combining contemporary trends and materials of traditional design through collaborations with various local craftsmen. Creating a direct link between traditional practice and minimalistic aesthetics, Abel attains knowledge of the capabilities of materials through different techniques and so accomplish to create timeless design.

Trini Guzmán, Muralist and multi-disciplinary artist, Chile

Trini expresses herself through different materials in an explorative with curiosity and positivity. She gets her inspiration from nature and from becoming a mother. She has done an accessories collection for Falabella in Chile.

Marisol Centeno, textile designer, Mexico

Her work includes commissions and production pieces for Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and Muac Museum, amongst others. She has spoken at many design events, such as the LACMA’s Found in Translation craft symposium. Textile designer Marisol Centeno is committed to the idea of design as an agent of change – a source of aesthetic, social, and cultural innovation. Her primary focus is on innovation, utilizing an experimental combination of artisanal and industrial techniques. Her work is characterized by promoting collective production and sustainability through design and the large-scale and colorful narratives of her textiles.

Álvaro Clavijo, chef, Colombia

He started studying Architecture in Bogotá, followed his passion, and studied at a culinary school in Barcelona, followed by several jobs at Michelin stars restaurants around Europe, among others, at Noma in CPH. After many years abroad, he returned to Bogotá, where he now runs his restaurants, making traditional local food in a new way.

Catalina Zarhi, ceramist and Felipe Assadi, achitect, Chile

Catalina is a designer with a focus on ceramics. She studied ceramics in Italy, the US, and Chile. She uses old techniques to elaborate on the thickness – her work is very thin. She makes two types of ceramic, hand-made that are burnt two times, “raku”, and more industrial molding techniques.

Felipe is an architect and founder of Felipe Assadi Arquitectos, based in Santiago. His buildings are known for their angular constructions, mostly built with exposed concrete and glass, ranging from private residences to hotels, villas, and pavilions.

Augustín Nicolás Rivero, fashion designer, Colombia

Augustín Nicolás Rivero is a designer and creative director with his avant-garde fashion brand, A NEW CROSS. His main focus is to explore and re-interpret the artisanal crafts from Latin America. He has created a unique aesthetic and universe, merging fashion and utilitarian objects with a contemporary view of traditional crafts from different regions.