Most people know Julio Torres as a comedian, actor and writer whose imagination operates on a frequency entirely its own. Through projects like Los Espookys, Problemista and Fantasmas, he’s built a world where the magical and absurd feel everyday. Recently, his imagination expanded into an unexpected medium: furniture.
His debut collection with Sabai, All Other Passports, grew out of conversations with co-founder Phantila Phataraprasit about their experiences as immigrants building lives in New York. The resulting pieces explore themes of migration, belonging and the strange realities of apartment living, while offering inventive solutions for an age-old city dilemma: where exactly do you put an out-of-town guest?
For DRAFTING, Torres shares sketches, inspirations and dream ideas that offer a glimpse into the way his mind works. Today, it’s furniture. Tomorrow, it could be a playground.
I have this idea to make some kind of play, film, installation or symphony, titled Dirty Dishes. Different moments take place in the murky waters of each dish, culminating, of course, in a moment like the one in this video.
Idea: a luggage carousel amusement park ride.
I never take food pics, but this tofu restaurant in Kyoto introduced me to so many shapes.
Forgot to post this display I saw in Portland. I think the woman in the grey is imprisoned, saying, “This must be some kind of mistake.” But the woman in the black is outside the cell, looking in and suggesting, “If you help us… perhaps we could help you.”
I would love to design a kids playground in NYC. Here’s some inspiration I found in Japan.
Pillow sketches for the Sabai collection.
Sketching a performance idea.
Drew the layout of an apartment I had in a nightmare. Perhaps it will become something.
