A limited-edition illy cup collection will go on sale this week in the US and its purpose goes beyond sipping beautiful espressos and cappuccinos to relaying a message about coffee-growing communities and sustainable coffee production around the world, while also supporting creative artists in coffee producing countries with an opportunity to have their work seen by millions of people.
Naufus Ramirez-Figueruro ('06) is one of 10 artists whose work has been selected.
The cup collection is tied to the upcoming EXPO Milano in 2015 and will include a total of ten cups representing the works of creative artists from emerging regions including coffee-producing countries ranging from Ethiopia and Honduras to Costa Rica, Guatemala and others. Officially named the sustainArt collection for EXPO, it is one of the most prolific endeavors for an illy cup collection that will serve as "World's Fair" collector memorabilia while also creating a legacy for the biggest event in the world dedicated to a crucial topic facing the human race, which is feeding the planet for future generations.
"The cup is a kind of allegory of the rich lands in Guatemala, the ash and stone that pour out of the countries many volcanoes," says Ramirez-Figueroa. "These volcanoes fertilise and enrich the soil where the coffee plants grow, giving the coffee its distinctive flavor."
Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa was born in Guatemala City in 1978, and now divides his time between Vancouver and Guatemala City. He has exhibited and performed in numerous art galleries and for public organisations. He has a degree in photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Emily Carr University .
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