Ezequiel Franchi arrived in Ribadeo 12 years ago, together with his wife Jimena Guaglianone, after falling in love with the town during a tourist visit. Born in Argentina and both descendants of Galicians, they found here the perfect place to settle down and start their entrepreneurial project, which materialised with the opening of their artisan workshop Raíces Nómadas Atelier.

Atlantic fusion

After training in Fine Arts in their native Argentina and experimenting for more than 20 years with different materials, such as ceramics and silver, Ezequiel and Jimena found in leather "the perfect and definitive material" to develop their creative talent.

From his workshop, which has the Artesanía de Galicia seal, come bags and accessories in which fusion is the main hallmark of identity, as they mix the classic techniques of European fine leather goods with the braiding and soguería (weaving) of Creole culture. "It is a real 100% handmade process. The sewing, the patterns, the finishing... everything is done by hand. We can invest up to 35 or 40 hours in the elaboration of each piece. This has also led us to select the materials we work with very carefully, so that their quality matches the time spent in the creation process," says Franchi.

In the latest edition of the Galician Crafts Awards, organised by the Xunta de Galicia, Raíces Nómadas was a finalist with "Nasa", a piece in which Franchi acknowledges "having left his soul". It is a handbag made of vegetable tanned leather, which seeks to reinterpret through leatherwork and braiding those ancient pots made from wood and wickerwork. "When we discovered the pots, we were truly fascinated. They caught our attention not only as a beautiful object, but also for their use, for their tradition and for everything that Galicia's maritime culture means", he explains.

 A shared creation process

For Ezequiel Franchi, sharing the process of making customised pieces and showing how the piece evolves is key. In addition, "we always try to make sure that the customer, if they are nearby, can come to the atelier to see the process live, choose the materials, touch the leathers, see the colours of the zips, the quality of the threads...", he says.  Thanks precisely to this connection with the object, "in the end they don't just get a bag, but a whole experience. This is our way of helping to enhance the value of our craft", he continues. Precisely in this valorisation, he also highlights the work carried out by the Fundación Pública Artesanía de Galicia. "I am delighted. I don't know of any other community that has a foundation as dedicated as this one, working and caring for the artisan fabric", he assures.

With their sights set on the future, they would like to expand the brand and reach customers outside Spain and even Europe, but without losing the essence of craftsmanship, which is what makes them unique.