March 12, 2025
Craft
Design
Kate Mothes

All images courtesy of Inés Quezada and Inés Llasera

Designers Inés Quezada and Inés Llasera conceived of ‘KAUANI,’ a series of luminaires inspired by native Mexican flora.

In Nahuatl, an Aztec language indigenous to Mesoamerica still spoken by more than a million people throughout Mexico, kauani means “to flourish.” Inés Llasera, co-founder of Tornasol Studio, and textile designer Inés Quezada conceived of a series of luminaires inspired by native flora in celebration of the region’s rich botanic diversity.

The ongoing series, KAUANI, emulates details of endemic species, drawing on textures found on cacti, geometric agaves, and the rhythmic patterns of corn. The duo also find inspiration in the unique seeds of mamey and guanabana fruits or the pigmentation of cacao and chili peppers.

“Cacti symbolize resilience,” Quezada and Llasera say in a statement, sharing how the plants’ adaptations to extreme environments mean they can endure long droughts and high temperatures. The pair adds:

For instance, their spines not only serve as a defense mechanism but also condense water and create a protective layer. Their pale pigmentation, resulting from waxes that insulate their tissues and their water-retention capabilities grant them unique volumetric forms. Unlike most plants, cacti perform photosynthesis at night, closing their stomata during the day to conserve water and nutrients. It is in darkness that they truly “breathe.”
Merging natural forms of fruit and botanicals with textiles, the lanterns incorporate knitted skins with delicate spikes, ruffles, or tentacles that tread the line between representation and abstraction. […]

Moree: In ‘KAUANI,’ Indigenous Mexican Flora Flourishes in Glowing Lanterns