F5: Laura Casañas Maya Talks Fantasia, Matthew Ronay + More

Laura Casañas Maya comes from a family of creatives. Her grandparents ran a ceramics workshop in Colombia dubbed Primaveral, and their story of community, and the joy of making, shapes how she views her own pieces today.

It’s not surprising that there’s little separation between work and life for the artisan, who finds inspiration everywhere, and revels in exploration. “A lot of times my work peeps into my personal life, and I kind of just have to let it be,” says Maya. “It’s happened that I am in bed about to rest, and in between moments of lucidity, all of a sudden I have a design solution that I have been trying to figure out.”

Maya attended the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and earned a bachelor’s degree in furniture design in 2017. In the studio she deftly uses a range of materials, from metal to textiles. She also hopes to experiment with glass more often, covering it with different films and textures to see how it refracts light.

Her latest series, available through Tuleste Factory, is informed by the craft of passementerie, the art of making decorative trimmings like tassels. With tables made of tubular steel and various cords, ornamentation and ages-old techniques dictate the forms of these contemporary furnishings.

Even though Maya has many concepts to choose from, she never rushes her process. “I am a big believer in letting things ferment in your mind when it comes to creative ideas,” she notes. “They linger in my brain for some time until an opportune moment arrives. Then I’ll sketch on anything I can get my hands on, and model it with clay or wire later on.”

Today, Laura Casañas Maya joins us for Friday Five!

Matthew Ronay’s work always and forever. He’s created an entire dimension that I love getting lost in. I’m drawn to the anthropological undercurrents in his work, the way he studies human behavior and belief through abstract, handcrafted forms.

2. Fantasia (1940), Disney

Disney’s Fantasia (1940) is a film that will always have a place in my mind. I’m fascinated by the film’s translation of sound into imagery. A celesta becomes a trail of fairy dust, while the melodies of a harp unfold through shifting colors and atmosphere. The tinkling of triangles depicted by glistening droplets of rain. The way animators capture light, transparency, and refraction, feels so whimsical, so delicate, but at the same time precise and refined. It’s impressive knowing that these techniques were developed so long ago.

3. The story of Primaveral

In the ’70s my grandparents were living in a shoe factory where my grandfather worked as a shoe maker. My grandmother began decorating the factory’s storefront with paper flowers, a small gesture of gratitude that drew the attention of people passing by. Soon, she was teaching others how to make the flowers in a small room within the factory. As her classes grew, my grandfather set down his tools and joined her in this creative pursuit. Together, they called it Primaveral.

Their journey unfolded across countries and materials. In Venezuela, they discovered ceramics. In Naples, my grandmother learned to craft Capodimonte flowers from a local artisan who welcomed them with warmth, clay, and house wine. In Limoges, my grandfather sourced porcelain to bring back to Colombia, along with other ceramics supplies. Their story, of curiosity, community, and the joy of making, continues to shape how I see work, craft, and connection today.

This body of work reflects on the deterioration of memory. Divided into six stages, the songs of Everywhere become increasingly distorted with each progression. Using loops from old ballroom vinyl records, the pieces evolve to mirror a patient’s shifting perception of reality. The final three stages are scary, depicting total degradation. But I love the first as they evoke the softness of a dreamy memory. It’s nostalgic and beautiful.

5. Bodies of Water

I think being around water is restorative. In Miami I grew up going to the beach which is lovely, warm water, hot sand. I also love the rivers in Colombia, cold water, hot sun. Laying on a warm rock after dipping into cold water is magical!

Works by Laura Casañas Maya:

Cordage Tables
Cord making is one of the subdivisions in the field of Passementerie, it is used for a variety of applications including cord piping. Cord, both as a material and in the context of cord piping, guides the design of the Cordage table. Its form stems from the idea of piping negative space

The Crête Lamps
The Crête Lamps draw inspiration from traditional trimmings, with the crête braid serving as their guiding element. Each lamp is meticulously handwoven using dual cords, resulting in a distinct contrast between the exterior and interior colors.

The Gimp Sofa
The Gimp sofa draws inspiration from gimp trims.