June 10, 2019
Esrawe Studio Designs Félix Candela–Inspired Lights
To create the brass form of Parábola, the studio partnered with Pablo Reyes, a Oaxacan metalworker based in Mexico City.
Héctor Esrawe founded his eponymous practice, Esrawe Studio, in 2003, building on two decades of creative collaboration across architecture, industrial design, and fine art. His latest project, a series of bronze lamps inspired by Esrawe’s curiosity about how light interacts with surfaces, made its debut in February as part of Collective/Collectible, the inaugural show of MASA Galería, a design-focused gallery in Mexico City.
In developing Parábola, Esrawe paid homage to Félix Candela, the Spanish architect whose groundbreaking parabolic structures are dispersed throughout Mexico City. In each of the nine models that Esrawe designed for this collection, the light emanates from the base. To create the brass form, the studio partnered with Pablo Reyes, a Oaxacan metalworker based in Mexico City, which Esrawe says “challenged each of us to achieve something new.”
Esrawe Studio is now considering copper for a second series. “Both materials have a quality of luminescence that allow you to understand how light travels,” Esrawe explains. “Even in the absence of [electrical] light, the material still captures that luminosity.” No matter the project, Esrawe says he seeks to learn from the expertise of others, whether architects, artisans, or artists. “Instead of limiting myself to design, I’ve left the doors open to explore other possibilities,” he says. “Design is a whole ecosystem.”
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