Family Tea is a tea set that is a family. Or a family that can be a tea set. This project arose from my obsession with the past, inheritance and family legacy, as well as the incessant search for new ways of telling its story. A common code we are all born with and that will continue appearing in all our defects and virtues: grandfather’s eyes, father’s birthmark, maternal great-grandmother’s white skin, grandfather’s hooked nose… the links are invisible but they are always there. 30 ceramic mugs with a tea kettle form a complete family tree: the Benvegnú family. The investigation is based on the imperfections and particularities we all have that we have inherited from someone.
Each piece shares the same color palette, however, upon being passed down from previous generations, the tone and quantity of color that it shares with prior iterations changes, along with other defining details, although they still pertain to the same group. Similarly, no two mugs are the same, just as no two people are the same.
The family seal and the little spoons with each person’s name and birthdate complete the concept. This tea set is for everyone who wants to perpetuate their roots with something tangible: my family, your family, and the neighbor’s family is in Family Tea.