Studio Luminosa

The work of Studio Luminosa begins with materials. "We see lighting as material architecture: shaping atmosphere, defining space and revealing the character of place," Baskett says. The studio's series are built around three material choices. The Alquimia series is made from 100% recycled copper. The Cristalino series uses up to 35% recycled glass, and cast ceramic defines the Tierra series.

In the Studio Luminosa showroom at La Fábrica La Aurora, each of them shows its own character. Copper radiates a soft, ambient warmth. Hand-blown Cristalino glass deliberately keeps the light source visible and lets color and texture carry the effect. Tierra ceramic sits somewhere in between. Opaque rather than translucent, it does not so much emit light as shape and contain it. The bulbs of each lamp are hand-selected to suit each material's particular way of handling light.

At La Fábrica La Aurora, the creative heart of San Miguel de Allende, art takes many forms. Painters, sculptors, designers and artisans all work under the roof of the former textile factory, where old ways of making and a modern spirit are in constant conversation. Studio Luminosa, which designs and makes artisanal architectural lighting, fits right into this dialogue. Its handmade pieces are rooted in traditional craft yet entirely at home in contemporary spaces.

Founder Jonathan Baskett deliberately chose Mexico as the studio's home in 2013. "We are drawn to the tension between the precision of manufacture and the irregularity, memory and character that emerge through traditional making," he says. "I founded Luminosa in Mexico to harness the local creativity and celebrate the country's artisanal traditions in a contemporary lighting design context."

To fabricate its pieces, Studio Luminosa works directly with artisans across Mexico. "We collaborate with local makers and traditional workshops, bringing their knowledge of material, process and transformation into dialogue with contemporary design and architectural thinking," Baskett explains. "Rather than treating craft as a fixed tradition, we see it as a living language, one capable of evolving, adapting and finding new expression through light."

One of Studio Luminosa’s partnerships is with the coppersmiths of Santa Clara del Cobre, a Pueblo Mágico in Michoacán about 250 kilometers southwest of San Miguel. Copper has been mined and worked there since pre-Hispanic times. After the town's own deposits ran out in the 19th century, the artisans turned to recycled material: used wiring and building and plumbing pipes, melted down at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius and reshaped by hand. The work is often done in teams, with hammer blows alternating while one person rotates the piece to shape it evenly. Once cooled, the metal is hammered further to give it the texture it is known for.

The appreciation for copper and its malleability has long been passed down from master to son, and Baskett shares it. His own background is in the workshop, and the direct engagement with the material still centers his work. "Copper is a valuable resource; it's dangerous and expensive to mine," he says. "Working with local artisans and communities, we are not only recycling it but continuing a long and sustainable craft practice into the future."

La Casona, Queretaro, Mexico. Arquitecture: Miguel Concha. Lighting design: Luz en Arquitectura, Steel Fabrication: Nuumbra.

Beyond its series, much of what Studio Luminosa makes is one of a kind: bespoke commissions, each lighting system designed for a specific space. "We take great care during the development to select the best system for each environment," Baskett explains. For each material, the studio builds on partnerships like the one in Santa Clara del Cobre, and over 95% of the company's materials are sourced within roughly 260 kilometers of San Miguel.

Baskett sees the same balance of tradition and innovation carrying the studio forward: "Our future lies in exploring new materials, technologies and methods of making while remaining grounded in human craft." Whatever form that takes, the commitment stays the same: lighting built by hand to last generations, in pieces where material, craftsmanship and architecture become inseparable.

Cristalino Tamarindo, Central Para, NY. Architect: Wide Chapman D.6.7 ¨X 12.2¨.

Alquimia Various. Private residence, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

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