HAVE YOU MET THOMAS DE VISME?
THOMAS DE VISME IS OUR LOCAL PRODUCTION MANAGER IN MEXICO WHO DIGS FOR TREASURES, ORGANIZES THE PRODUCTION AND WHO MAKES SURE EVERY OBJECT ARRIVES SAFE AND SOUND IN OUR E-SHOP.
Thomas is originally from Corsica (France), but it was a love story that made him move to Mexico 3 years ago. The romance didn’t last but instead he developed a long-lasting relationship with Mexico and embraced the chaotic ambiance from which creativity thrives. Thomas and Jean-Paul have spent 2 months on a cross-country road trip looking for the most amazing objects at flea markets, tianguis (Aztec word for open-air market) and even in remote parts of Mexico where people still speak native languages.
QUESTIONS
NAME 1 PERSON, 1 PLACE, 1 OBJECT THAT SHAPE(D) YOUR PAST, PRESENT AND INSPIRES YOUR FUTURE
Past – person:
“This might sound a bit intellectual, but I have a fascination for Herodotus who is one of the first historians. He wrote stories about Egypt and Persia, but they are epic fantasies that have little in common with history as we know it now. One of the most interesting aspects of the past is that we can reshape and retell it all the time.”
Past – place:
“My grandmother’s house which was filled to the brim with old and mysterious objects. As a child I loved inventing stories for these objects and their usage. For example, she had a big glass dome on a pedestal. I now know they are used to preserve a wedding bouquet but at the time I couldn’t help but imagine that this magical object once belonged to a mad scientist.”
Past – object:
“Minitel. This device was internet before the internet. An attempt to shape the future but that remains forever linked to the past.”
Present – person & place:
“Me in the here and now. I live between Mexico City and Tepoztlán, a mystical valley where ancient astrological and medicinal traditions are kept alive. The community of Tepoztlán is a fun and mystical cocktail of locals and hippies that came from Europe and the US in the sixties.”
Present – object:
“The pen. It only works the moment the ink touches the paper. That’s the present: not bigger than a tiny spot of ink. It’s not easy being in the present but it’s important to try. I try to be in the moment, to be like the pen.”
Future – person, place & object:
“I have no person, place or object for the future in mind. I try to live a serendipitous life. To be able to discover unexpected things. That’s a beautiful way to discover the world. You just have to keep your eyes open.”
HOW DO YOU FIND THE EXTRA IN THE ORDINARY IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?
“2 years ago, I decided to stop planning my life and it has worked out well for me.
Every day can offer little presents, but we have to be ready to receive them. The collaboration with E-O is one of those presents.”
WHAT MAKES THE E-O PHILOSOPHY SO EXTRA-ORDINARY?
“Being part of the process, for me it is the relationship we have with our local craftsmen
and the attention we have for the story of every object. We don’t work with intermediaries because we want to have a direct contact with the person who makes the object with his/her hands and we ask them to tell their stories. These are extra-ordinary stories that need to be shared.
We also take great importance in ethical sourcing. For most companies, ethical sourcing is a concept but for E-O, this is a value.”