Elisabet Urpí & Nacho Umpiérrez

Eliurpi

Milliner

©Manuel Naranjo Martell

©Nacho Umpiérrez

The natural fibre sculptors

Elisabet and Nacho work together under the name Eliurpi
They prefer to exhibit at artistic venues or galleries
They had their first biennial participation at Visions Of Catalonia in 2023

Elisabet Urpí and Nacho Umpiérrez have made hat making an instrument for original artistic expression. Their fibre hats and furniture collections are sculptural, of simple geometry and monochromatic colours, and fuse art, craft and architecture in an elegant, contemporary Bauhaus style. Eli and Nacho’s story started in 2010 when Nacho’s curious photographer eye caught Eli, a graphic designer from Elisava School of Design and Engineering, and the paper headdresses she was creating. Their friendship turned into an endearing partnership that has evolved with their work and unique synchronicity ever since. They formally opened Eliurpi in 2013 and moved to the Gothic quarters of Barcelona in 2018. Their studio-gallery draws the attention of curious passers-by and connoisseurs of singular craft alike.

Interview

©Nacho Umpiérrez

©Nacho Umpiérrez

Can you recall a major turning point since you started hat making?: Meeting María Mazas, a retiring hat maker and artist who handed down her know-how to us. We spent two years visiting her and saving to buy her wooden hat blocks and materials. This took our craft to another level. Our initial paper headdresses evolved with a traditional hat making process into sculptural designs.
How do you approach your creative process?: It is a very visual approach and we enjoy it enormously. Forms may come from Nacho’s photo images or from my own sketches and paintings which then evolve into our own creations. We design, make, and learn in tandem – it is our particular way of communicating.
What is your client profile?: Our hat making is more than a craft, it is an artform, a decorative piece to be exhibited in various forms, rather than an accessory. Our clients range from luxury department stores to art collectors, designers, movie producers and architects.
What are your sources of inspiration?: Surprisingly for most, we have never been inspired by fashion. We interpret architecture and form into something organic through a new medium. We are also inspired by contemporary art, industrial design, travel, and daily living.

Elisabet Urpí & Nacho Umpiérrez are expert artisans: they began their career in 2010