Meet Alba Yonari Castaño, creator of Orna

We believe that the essence of every home is reflected in the details, which is why we have brought a guest brand to The Blue House that will perfectly complement our furniture. This is Orna, handmade objects with soul, ranging from tableware to vases. Together with its founder, Alba Yonari Casta ñ o, we have created an exclusive collection for our brand, inspired by slow living, Japanese aesthetics , and the importance of making the home a sanctuary and every moment a ritual.  

 

We wanted to interview this talented woman to find out in depth where Orna comes from and what inspires her in her creative moments . Find out below the questions we asked her and what her answers were, and find her ceramic pieces in our galleries in Medellin and Bogota .

1. What inspires you when creating these pieces?  

My greatest inspiration is nature. Since I was little, when I went to the market with my father, I began to see the beauty of the perfect shapes of each fruit and vegetable, how each one is different, each one is unique in its imperfection . That is what I want to convey with my tableware. Each piece is handmade, it is a perfect craft that gives people the option of gathering with their loved ones around a table to share unique moments, to create memories and stories that will remain in their memory forever.  

2. What is the story behind your creations?  

For me , it is a passion that is born 100% from love, from the desire to give people sensory experiences at the table, in their home. For me, decoration is a staging, it is a harmony where objects complement each other to transform spaces and allow each person to give life to new universes. Orna is a spontaneous, artisanal and emotional brand and those are the stories we want to tell with each of our creations.  

3. What is the creative process for choosing colors and shapes?  

Orna is inspired by nature, its shapes, its colours, its imperfection, which for me is perfect. For this reason, we adopted an organic colour palette and elements with great sensorial richness and that touch of ornamental beauty, hence its name. The creation process is our teacher, letting each piece be, allowing it to create and transform itself along the way, in its free forms.

4. Tell us a little about the technique and materials you use.

Each of Orna's pieces is handmade, worked in a beautiful workshop by artisans who have in their hands the history and tradition of making tableware. Each piece is unique, there is no one like the previous one, and that is the beauty of artisanal work, each piece tells a story. The materials we use come from the earth: they are mud, clay and water, and each of them takes shape to result in beautiful creations.  

5. What is the unique touch of your creations? What makes them different from other tableware ?  

For me it is important that people feel part of each creation , that they make it their own and give it meaning. Orna is a place for interpretation , for awakening the senses. Orna is a lifestyle, free forms that evoke emotions, and for me that is what makes it unique .   

6. What is the piece that has made you feel most proud?   

One of the pieces that has filled my heart with pride and happiness is the teapot, because it is an element that connects me with Andre, my daughter. For us, drinking tea is a ritual, a special moment that we share as mother and daughter. We like to go to the garden, choose each tea plant, and sit down to share that unique moment that fills my soul with love.  

7. What do you want to convey through tableware?  

With my tableware I seek to transmit inspiration, so that people who buy it can create their own moments, their own atmospheres. I want people who have Orna in their homes to feel it as a lifestyle, as spaces that are not created to show off but to nurture the well-being of the people who live there.