Always looking for new, young talent, Oscar Campos’ sister Pina scours the provinces of Mexico for obscure but gifted artisans. As a result, Campos’ new Lake View store, Casa Campos, is stocked with handcrafted home furnishings not found anywhere else in the Midwest.
“There are so many different regions in Mexico, each with its own specialties,” says Campos. “You hit one province for pewter, another for wrought iron, another for carving or china.”
One of Pina’s discoveries is craftsman Jose Torres. His contributions include gold-leaf clay jars, $30 to $115, and decorative wall pieces, $19 to $129, all featuring his charming “pudgy-boy-with-angel-wings” motif.
The store also specializes in massive pieces of furniture. Bureaus and chests made of deep-stained pine feature ornate hand-carved trim, $295 to $345. Several pieces are made of antique doors, including a mesquite banquet table that incorporates a weathered ox harness for support struts, $595.
There also are some traditional Mexican crafts, including milagros, cross-shaped figures decorated with tin trinkets; comal, brightly painted clay platters for serving warm tortillas; and tala-vera, hand-painted dishes, some framed with pewter.
Casa Campos is at 3326 N. Clark St.; 773-281-2272.
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