Cortina creates handcrafted furniture using native Mexican materials such as obsidian, bronze and quartz in a range of colors and textures.
Cortina’s designs are inspired by numerous historical and creative forces, from the ancient Aztecs to the 20th Century Mexican masters Luis Barragan and Mathias Goeritz. From Within will present a series of new and elegant furniture pieces, including coffee and side tables, cabinets and consoles. In addition to her familiar hand-hammered metal work, Cortina will also incorporate cochinilla lacquer, a purple color from the Cochineal insect, and obsidian, a glass-like volcanic rock, once used by the Aztecs for making tools and weapons. Cortina’s work speaks to the historic and cultural ideas of Mexico while remaining distinctively contemporary.
Born in 1972, Cortina holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and aesthetics from the Universidad Iberoamericana, which was followed by a degree in interior design from Parsons The New School for Design. Following her education, Cortina gained experience working under the tutelage of acclaimed architects David Ling in New York City, and Ricardo Legorreta in Mexico City, before going on to form the multidisciplinary design firm A5 Arquitectura with a group of peers. Today, fully dedicated to her interior and furniture design practice through Gloria Cortina Estudio, she provides design services for luxury properties, anchored on her own bespoke furniture and lighting created in collaboration with local artisans and workshops to uphold the utmost standard of quality and design.
