Photo by one of the selected participants, Sebastián Avella Neira.

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The above is the premise for the new contest by ‘tei - Taller en Identidad’ , an initiative that aims to spark creative exchange to allow young designers to find their own identity within the world of design. Tei workshops foster the collaboration of design students or recent grads with a seasoned mentor.

For this occasion, the selection of mentors is made up of Colombian professionals specialized in different disciplines, such as Camilo Restrepo, Jimena Londoño, Pedro Santos, Mónica Barreneche, Francisco Jaramillo, Jorge Lizarazo, Oliver Siegenthaler, Juan José Rincón and Melissa Álvarez, accompanied by a group of brands and design personalities who support the project, like Julián Posada, Habitar Magazine, Kriteria, Design Colombia, 902 Showroom and La Comuna.

As media partner, we have been waiting anxiously to reveal the final eight participants that will work hand in hand with each mentor to develop a project over the next four months. Each participant will now have the opportunity to learn what happens day-to-day in the the creative industry, seeing their work through to the end in a collaborative project.

Theme: ColomBee - A

Mentor: Camilo Restrepo, Master of Architecture in urban planning, founder and creative director of Agenda Agencia de Arquitectura.

Camilo has been a visiting professor since 2014 at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, as well as the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Latinoamérica UCAL in Lima, Peru since 2016. His work has been awarded Honorable Mentions at the 2008 Colombian Architecture Biennale, a Lápiz de Acero award for Medellín’s landmark ‘Orquideorama’ project and in 2010, the Lápiz de Acero award for the project ‘Medellin Transformación de una Ciudad.’

Apprentice: Esteban Barth - Architecture

Theme: Hogar de fibras

Mentor: Jimena Londoño, Architect and Interior Designer, founder and creative director at Jotaele Arquitectura and Folies Artesano

Londoño is a graduate in Architecture from Bogotá’s Universidad Nacional, after which she worked with the late architect Guillermo Restrepo, developing her own aesthetic. She founded Jotaele Arquitectura a little over 10 years ago and since then, has managed to create a personalized vision of young, contemporary design that answers to the needs and tastes of its Colombian clients.

Apprentice: Juan Andrés Pérez - ARchitecture & Product Design

Theme: Latinex

Mentor: Pedro Santos, Photographer and founder of Círculo Cromático

Pedro Santo’s work searches for moments of connection with the soul. His trademark is his ability to find details and establish connections between the lens and those around him. His work experiments with the multiple possibilities of life, people and their human qualities, pinpointing their ability to integrate through differences and commonalities, transcending the layers of the individual.

Apprentice: Yohan López - Photography

Theme: Realidades invertidas

Mentor: Monica Barreneche, Photographer and Master in Journalism, curator and founder of El Buen Ojo

Monica Barreneche is a photographer, audiovisual media professional, journalist, consultant in styling curatorship and assembly at fairs, and advisor for established and emerging design brands.

Apprentice: Sebastián Avella Neira - Photography

THeme: Arqueología citadina

Mentor: Francisco Jaramillo, Designer, Master in Furniture Design and founder of Fango Studio and Taller en Identidad

Francisco Jaramillo is the creative director of Fango and the mind behind tei - Taller en Identidad. He graduated in product design at ELISAVA in Barcelona, and has worked with designers like Marre Moerel in Madrid and Christian Ghion in Paris.

After studying under Stefano Colli, Christophe Mathieu, Vicent Martinez, among others, Francisco found that teaching should be done by those who also live and put design into practice, so he decided to work as a teacher and workshop leader. According to the designer, design is storytelling through objects. It is also about understanding products within a cultural framework and working to preserve their history while transforming them for the present.

Apprentice: Juan Esteban Montoya - Photography

Theme: Magiterial

Mentor: Jorge Lizarazo, Architect and Designer, Master in Architecture Theories and founder at Hechizoo

Architect from the Universidad de los Andes with a Master in Architecture Theories from Paris Villemin School of Architecture. He also worked for Massimiliano Fuksas and Santiago Calatrava architecture studios in Europe. Since then, he has developed projects in architectural design, interior design, product and furniture design, with textiles as a central driver of innovation, inventing different materials and techniques to achieve unique spaces and design pieces.

Apprentice: Paula Andrea Molina - Textile Design

Theme: Escuchar para diseñar

Mentor: Oliver Siegenthaler, Graphic designer and Master in Graphic production and packaging from ELISAVA, Art Director at Siegenthaler & Co

Between 2005 and 2006, Oliver worked for Misty Wells and Zea Asociados. In December 2007 he joined the team at Lip Lucho Correa, where he worked as creative director for four years. His work has been awarded the Communication Arts Excellence Award, several Lápiz de Acero Awards, a Red Dot Design Award, the Barcelona Laus Awards, Wallpaper Magazine Design Awards and was featured at the Ibero-American Design Biennale. In January 2012, he left Lip to open his own design firm, Siegenthaler & Co, where he is currently art director.

Apprentice: Gabriela Pardo - Graphic Design

Theme: La expansión

Mentores: Juan José Rincón, Publicist, and Melissa Álvarez, Audiovisual Communications and Photography Master, founders at Efecto Perfecto

Efecto Perfecto is a visual studio focused on creating and materializing unique projects full of sensory experiences. They believe in creative synergy.

Apprentice: Silvana Aponte - Graphic Design