What is “MicroCosm Flavours”?

MicroCosm Flavours, what are they?

MicroCosm Flavours is a limited collection of art pieces and goods found exclusively at Tania Rosas Designs.

Aim: Create a sense of belonging by celebrating diversity, uniqueness and authenticity through art.

The collection showcases how complex an identity can be, particularly but not exclusively for people with a mixed background and strives to blur the lines of geographical nationality which often forces an identity upon people.

What does MicroCosm flavour stand for?

The official definitions:

• MicroCosm: “a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger”
• Flavour: “the distinctive taste of a food or drink” or "an indication of the essential character of something."

MicroCosm Flavour label

What is the motivation for creating this collection?

In 2020, I took the life-changing decision to quit what was considered a “dream” job. This was a big risk, but my heart was loud and clear that I needed to pursue my passion for art and leather-working full time. It was important to me that my business stood for something and added value to others.

The first idea that popped into my head was to combine different cultures in one art piece which essentially reflected my own story, being a foreigner my entire life. At first, I was doubtful and quick to dismiss it. After months of countless other attempts, it became obvious that the first concept was the most meaningful and authentic to me.

How does the collection connect with my story?

I was born in Panama where I lived for about 9 years altogether. From a very young age, we moved around, growing up in Switzerland, France, Germany and today I live in Ireland. When I was 12 years old, I spoke Spanish, French, German and English, and at 23 I did my best to learn some Irish sign language.

These countries and their cultures often represented huge contrasts in ethics, societal expectations, acceptable norms, common sense and many other aspects of life. Simple things like how to address a teacher in school, which topics are taboo, how to stop a bus, eating habits, punctuality expectations - were all so different. Navigating friendships and relationships had yet another level of complexity.

Growing up, everybody faces challenges to make sense of the world we live in, but having so many conflicting cultures and experiences did not make it any easier. Over the years, the biggest struggle I faced was my identity. While I was able to adopt many habits of the countries I lived in, be accepted and connect with people, I still felt foreign and somewhat alien. My home country Panama was no exception.

While it is our experiences that shape us, it is our own interpretations of them that define our confidence to live authentically. With this awareness, the love of people around me and maturing, I was able to build the confidence to know that my uniqueness is not a weakness but a strength. My goal with this collection is to help anybody feeling out of place, to discover and celebrate their own flavours and magic!

Check out the collection MicroCosm Flavours or learn more about Tania Rosas Designs.