Clara Porset
1895-1981
PORSET WAS BORN in Cuba in 1895, but she traveled the world to hone her craft at institutions such as the famed École des Beaux-Arts and the Louvre, in Paris. After returning home, she created furniture for schools and gave lectures about the importance of modern design, but her outspoken support for the Cuban worker uprisings quickly led to political exile in 1935. Porset decamped to Mexico, where she married painter and muralist Xavier Guerrero. The two entered the Museum of Modern Art’s Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition as ateam in 1940— the first time that Latin American designers were included in a call for proposals—but only Guerrero received credit. While in Mexico, Porset advocated for the use of traditional handicrafts and techniques, in contrast to the prevailing enthusiasm for more efficient industrial manufacturing methods. Perhaps her most notable achievement is her reinvention of the Butaque chair, a low-slung seat that was originally introduced by Spanish conquerors but was later appropriated by Mexicans as a symbol of nationalism. Porset took that activism a step further, tapping local artisans to make the popular design with regionally sourced materials, including wicker, oak and leather.
“Within the design industry, there’s no doubt that Porset is considered a pioneer. However, in the mainstream, her work is often lesser known to that of her contemporaries, including architect Luis Barragán, who himself commissioned her now-iconic Butaque chairs. Porset was one of the leading voices of Mexican modernism, believing that contemporary Mexican design should also honor its craft history. She was part of a group of progressive designers in Mexico who encouraged the use of local materials, age-old techniques and indigenous design motifs to create a distinct Mexican modernist style.” —Natasha Baradaran, Natasha Baradaran Interior Design