Clara Porset: Butaque by Clara Porset and Ana Elena Mallet

“There is design in everything we perceive,” proposed Clara Porset (1895–1981), one of the most innovative Latin American designers of the 20th century. Although born in Matanzas, Cuba, Porset spent most of her life in Mexico and throughout her long career as a designer, writer, activist and teacher, she challenged social conventions, persevering in an era that offered few opportunities for the professional development of women. In this latest volume of MoMA’s One on One series, scholar and curator Ana Elena Mallet explores Porset’s interpretation of the butaque, the traditional low-slung chair found throughout Latin America. Porset’s butaque―distinctively modern yet rooted in ancient cultures―demonstrates how a single item of design can convey multitudes about culture, regional identity and intersecting histories.