Giorgiana and Miloika Penon

Giogiana y Miloika Penon are sisters and artisans whose work focuses on showing the beauty found in nature. At a young age, Giorgiana created sculptures with driftwood she found on Costa Rican beaches. "In 1999, my grandmother inspired me to go to college, where I studied industrial design. It was wonderful to develop my design skills and explore new ideas," she says. <br><br> "Miloika had been working as an interior designer for 15 years and has worked with many prestigious design firms. In 2011, I had been working on a design project with university students in a town known for its colorful carts and beautiful handcrafts. We saw that the people there had extraordinary woodworking skills. <br><br> "We realized that we could help them design items that they could sell to international shoppers at better prices than the souvenirs they currently crafted. I decided to create designs that could be used in the home. <br><br> "Miloika joined me in this project and fell in love with it. We've formed a wonderful team with the artisans and we're growing together. This project is a solid one that has helped many people in the community. <br><br> "By introducing modern, utilitarian designs, our goals continue to grow and the artisans are becoming known."