The Dwell 24: Isabel Moncada

Lighting designer Isabel Moncada pours herself into her work. With pieces so personal, it’s hard not to. She sees each product as an extension of herself, explaining, "Design reflects me, who I was, where I come from, and what I like." As such, it takes up much of her waking hours. Living right by her workshop in Zapopan, Mexico, she rises early each morning and walks over with her German shepherd, Teka. Once there, she has a hand in every part of the business. Explaining her role at her eponymous 24-person brand, Moncada notes that—unlike many other small designers—"we do design, we produce, and we sell. I overlook everything. I’m not just designing."

Learning from her surroundings—citing influences as diverse as the tree growing in her studio and Mexican music—she then interprets the world through her experiences. Earlier in her practice, Moncada says, "I was worried about what my style was, but now I just find my expression in my day-by-day work."

With the Maratus Horsehair chandelier, for example, she was initially fascinated by the fiber’s interaction with light. Born from Moncada’s playing with small wax prototypes, an almost four-foot-wide treelike system of bronze branches sprouts twelve horsehair tassels that glow at their roots. "You can show it to different people and it will appeal to some of them, but some are very weirded out," she laughs, remembering her first time showing the fixture to an employee, who told her "it looks like a spider."

Striking a balance between her own tastes, practical concerns, and the views of others spurs deep creative impulses for Moncada. "It’s part of the creative process," she says. She appreciates the multitude of perspectives viewers bring to her work, as a businesswoman and as a designer.

You can learn more about Isabel Moncada by visiting the studio’s website or on Instagram.

Top image courtesy Isabel Moncada

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