Design, in all its forms, lives in constant tension between the initial idea and its final expression.
The idea is drawn in the mind, but it does not reach its full potential until it finds the material medium capable of conveying it, enhancing it, and even transforming it. In this passage from the mental to the tangible, materials take on a prominent role as they become true vehicles of communication in their own right.
They are an essential part of the message. In a world dominated by screens, it is easy to assume that materiality has lost ground. Yet the opposite is true. Precisely because we are surrounded by interfaces, materials grow in expressive power in response to the dematerialization of visual communication. Weight, texture, fold—each detail adds a layer of meaning.
And undeniably, among all the materials that accompany the designer’s craft, paper occupies a singular place. Not only because it has historically been the stage where our ideas come to life, but because it holds a paradoxical quality: it is both humble and sophisticated. A millenary invention at the foundation of human culture, inextricably linked to the epic of writing.
Paper as a Language
To speak of paper is to speak of visual culture—of how we choose to present what we consider valuable. The choice of a paper determines how a work is received. Its whiteness or warmth, its opacity, its strength, the way it absorbs ink or behaves when folded. Everything communicates. Everything shapes reading, perception, and thus the experience. That characteristic scent of paper and ink; its touch, sometimes rough, sometimes smooth. The silent power of paper in graphic design has at times been underestimated.
For Buenaventura, its presence is decisive: it can reinforce an idea, suggest a tone, converse with an aesthetic, or even deliberately contradict it. That is why, when a project is built with authenticity, honoring tradition and respecting the craft, the choice of paper becomes a conceptual decision.
This is where Munken comes in.
Munken: the Culture of Paper Made Material
The Munken family of papers, produced by Arctic Paper in the historic Munkedals mill, holds a place of reference within European editorial and graphic culture. Not only for its quality, but for an approach that understands paper as a balance between technique, beauty, and respect for nature. Arctic Paper is today one of the most established paper manufacturers on the continent, with a long history in graphic production and a genuine commitment to sustainability
When a Paper Finds Its Project
In developing the Fuenquesada 25–26 campaign, we faced a unique challenge: creating a visual universe that celebrated craft, land, and tradition from a fully contemporary perspective.
Our proposal for this year unfolds through patterns that dialogue with the color palette of the Arts & Crafts movement and with the artisanal vision of William Morris, the driving force behind the artistic movement that emerged in late 19th-century Britain as a response to the Industrial Revolution. These colors, combined with geometries and rhythms characteristic of early 20th-century design, complete the ensemble.
This was, therefore, a project in which materiality needed to stand on equal footing with concept. As we began testing papers, Munken immediately stood out for its coherence with the story we wanted to tell. Its tone, its ink absorption, its ability to enhance textures—everything seemed aligned with the project’s sensibility.
Magic arises when a Munken paper born for editorial use is taken out of context. That is, a paper conceived for books, catalogues, and printed projects where reading is the priority. But design sometimes finds unexpected solutions that become essential to the project. This is what we call serendipity—a valuable discovery that changes everything.
This is precisely what happened when we decided to use a Munken paper as the material for the collection of wraps that clothe the Fuenquesada 25–26 bottles.
What was meant to be an editorial paper thus became a second skin for the product: wrapping it without losing firmness and adding a layer of natural sophistication that gave each bottle an almost ceremonial presence. A simple, almost domestic gesture—wrapping a bottle—was transformed into a material experience filled with intention.
Sometimes, taking a material out of context is the best way to truly discover it.
When the Wrapper Becomes a Second Skin
The six papers created for this Fuenquesada edition interpret the Andalusian landscape through abstraction: rhythms, textures, and geometric patterns that evoke craftsmanship without resorting to literal representation. Paper becomes a narrative element that reinforces the idea that this harvest is a tribute to work done with care. That behind the oil there are hands, time, and dedication. That materiality matters because it is part of how we understand and honor a product.
Materiality as Thought
In design, the choice of a material is also a statement of principles. Paper, like typography, carries an ethic: it speaks to how we understand the world, how we relate to tradition, to sustainability, to beauty, and to functionality.
This decision allowed us to build a bridge between the craft of paper and the craft of olive growing, between European editorial culture and Andalusian agricultural culture, between design and material. Ultimately, in that contact—in that first sensation between skin and paper—the truth of the project is revealed.
Check Project Fuenquesada 25-26
Ana Moliz
Art Director Buenaventura
