Talks in Tan-dem

Claudia and I 

She entered my life a little over 3 years ago with an incomparable flourish, refusing to finish an entire sentence without interjecting multiple Spanish colloquialisms. I was in the midst of my PhD, arguably one of the most demanding phases. By this point, I had developed valuable expertise in a specialized scientific technique and was navigating the challenge of balancing experiments with learning to code for data analysis, all while striving to share my work as widely as possible with the scientific community. And so the universe had decided that I needed a sprinkle of Claudia in my life.

It seems rather fitting to be releasing this profile today and sending her off with positivity and creativity as she heads back to sunny Barcelona after completing her work in our lab. Claudia was my desk neighbour throughout her time here, and my first memory of our friendship was us severely disagreeing on how tomato soup should be eaten. She firmly believes it should only be eaten cold, while I savour a hot bowl of tomato soup on a chilly day – an impasse that ultimately resulted in a floor-tape boundary between our desks. However, once we got to know each other better and looked past our soupy differences, we realised we had actual things in common. One day she turned around and asked ‘Want to come over to mine and paint?’, and that was the beginning of our artistic friendship. 

Claudia is one of the most creative people one could have the fortune of knowing. We’ve shared countless creative moments: painting together, cooking numerous meals, her crafting Swiss football jerseys for us, mending garments for my special occasions, and introducing me to a variety of new hairstyles while patiently teaching me how to recreate them. If we ever wanted to look a certain way, be it a fun costume or an elegant getup, we did not rush to the stores, but instead she would suggest we make it at home. 

Encouraging creativity

To write her profile, I took Claudia to the only café in town that serves scones—a nostalgic choice, as we both did our Bachelor’s degrees in England and had missed these melt-in-your-mouth treats. Being a scientist at heart, I had the classic nature versus nurture debate in my mind and was just dying to know where Claudia’s creativity came from. Hearing her story helped me understand the immense value of encouraging children to be artistic and innovative. 

Claudia’s mother Rosanna (or Rus as her loved ones call her endearingly) was herself raised in an imaginative family. Rus’ mother was a ballet instructor who would hand sew the ensembles of her students for their recitals, and her stepfather ran a textile factory that produced scarves for the likes of Burberry. Rus dabbled in fashion herself in her youth, having dropped out of law school because the only reading she was really interested in during class was that of her fashion magazines. She worked in retail at a boutique called Misako (which means ‘my bag’ in Spanish) in Barcelona. She enjoyed her job immensely and like a montage in an uplifting movie with cheerful music in the background, she was slowly entrusted with increasing amounts of responsibility. She was made in charge of fabric import, often travelling to the fashion capital Milan for purchases, was authorised as personal shopper to the rich, and was eventually made manager and even put in charge of opening a sister-boutique in Madrid. She later started a family and relocated to Geneva, where she absorbed skills like a sponge in a variety of gastronomy, pottery and ceramic classes. While she had the means to buy whatever she needed, she embraced the philosophy that if something could be made at home, that was the way to go. The confidence Rus had in her own creations fostered a warm and inviting space for self-expression at home.

The earliest profession Claudia aspired to as a child was that of an inventor. At 8 years of age, she recalls inventing her first device – a hairband with a tissue box attached to it. A simple yet practical idea she tried to convince her parents of, as she would reach up to pull out a tissue to blow her nose. Claudia was not only encouraged to express her creativity at home, but the environment at her school was also ideal for nurturing her can-do attitude when it comes to creating. At 10, her music class was asked to create instruments using everyday items. While most others came up with a flute out of sticks or used rubber bands to make a guitar, Claudia decided to make an entire drum-set. Arriving at the bus stop, arms full of cardboard, bottles, and plates as makeshift drums, with chopsticks transformed into drumsticks – I can only picture the bewildered expression on the bus driver’s face. At 14, the students were encouraged to take on a year-long project where Claudia embarked on opening her own jewellery store. Crafting each piece by hand and selling her creations around school, she not only showcased her entrepreneurial spirit but also earned a tidy profit along the way! Her school organised various talent shows and competitions to showcase the individuality of their students – a practice I find commendable. 

Apart from her home-life, her school-life, and having practiced figure skating for over 8 years, her inner-circle was (and is) filled with entrepreneurial and innovative minds. Together they crafted and created the most beautiful cakes, and entertaining short films and performances. Claudia’s brother too showed an extreme interest in films (quite apt as he now works in the film industry) having created his own costumes when they were younger. She estimates that around 90% of her friends in Barcelona have run a small business at some point or the other – be it merchandise or product design. Imagine being enveloped in such a talented cocoon. 

Project-Claudia

I must admit this was my favourite part of our chat – hearing about all of her various projects. I call them projects for lack of a better word, but they are her creations, designs, fabrications, and the list is endless. I have dwindled it down to 3 main projects: her favourite, my favourite and her dream project. Each year for her partner’s birthday, she puts together a carefully curated album, thoughtfully filled with cherished memories from the past year. It begins with a photo from his previous birthday, and ends with a blank space, reserved for a picture from their current celebration. This is her favourite project. 

Every Christmas since the COVID pandemic started, she has created gifts for her family. In the first year, she collected all sorts of containers – from sardine boxes to old tomato tins, and turned them into candles, because she wanted her gift to her loved ones to be light. Last year, she cooked up an array of sweet and savoury jams, and packs of orangettes (candied orange dipped in chocolate). Displaying them in a charming market-style arrangement, she wanted her family to choose their favourites. These Christmas gifts from the heart comprise my favourite project. 

That leaves us with Claudia’s dream project. Let me paint you a picture of a boutique store in Barcelona filled with positive energy and any and all sorts of projects that come to Claudia’s mind. These projects would be one of a kind, with the sole purpose of bringing a smile to others’ faces. You can walk in with a question in mind; it could be a hairstyle you want for a special day, a garment that needs adjusting, or a gift that needs to come to life. Just as she did for me, she would solve all your creative quandaries with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She even revealed the secret behind the name of her dream store – a name that perfectly encapsulates her unique style, that pays homage to her creative heritage. My little parting gift to Claudia as she heads back to Barcelona is to keep this sweet secret. She was genuinely baffled when I told her she was one of the most innovative people I’ve ever met, having never seen herself as creative. But I’m thrilled to say I’ve managed to change her perspective, as we wish her all the happiness with her future projects!