Baltasar Portillo
Salvadoran
I was born in El Salvador, at the age of 11. I left El Salvador to pursue my education in the United States. I attended prep school, and college there, but I always knew that I would return to my home country after finishing my education. I studied economics and management, and after graduation I returned to El Salvador to try and contribute somehow in my country's development. After more than a decade of working in the financial sector of El Salvador, I decided to pursue my life’s passion; Art and furniture. I grew up around Sergio Rodrigues, Eames, Saarinen, Nelson and Risom scattered around my parents house and office, when it was considered normal furniture. In my country most furniture then was baroque, therefore, 50’s, and 60’s design somehow caught my interest. I undusted the old furniture stored in a warehouse at my father’s office and took it to my apartment. I got myself a welder and taught myself how to weld and began a life project creating limited edition furniture. Currently, I still live in El Salvador, but spend seasons in London, my wife’s home town. I have been doing furniture for almost two decades now and will continue doing it as long as I live. In the meantime I became member of the Furniture Society of North America, and was selected for their Annual Exhibition at ICFF in New York City. I have built over 100 pieces of furniture in my career, and every single oneis different. Recently I was shortlisted for the Biennal de Diseno Iberoamericano in Madrid, Spainwhere I obtained an honorable mention with the “Armadillo Chair”. I love what I do and it is a life compromise.
