LIGHTING DESIGNER–MAKER & FOUNDER
Riya Panchal is a London-based lighting designer–maker and Founder & Creative Design Director of MESEME Studio. Her work treats light as both material and emotion, creating sculptural lighting that balances expressive form with functional clarity.
Rooted in material exploration, colour sensitivity, and hands-on making, her practice sits at the intersection of function and feeling. The work allows for personalisation while remaining playful, narrative, and craft-driven.
Born in Gujarat, India, and now based in London, Riya’s cross-cultural background and early familiarity with making and engineering inform her approach. Her designs are shaped by an ongoing dialogue between heritage and modernity, precision and spontaneity, stillness and light.
Through modular and responsive forms, her work explores how light defines space, mood, colour, and perception within contemporary interiors.
THE STUDIO
Material•Light•Emotion
MESEME Studio is a London-based lighting design and manufacturing studio practice grounded in material exploration, light behaviour, and process-led making. Guided by a sensitivity to colour, form, and detail, the studio creates sculptural lighting that balances contemporary precision with the warmth of the maker’s hand.
At its core, the studio approaches lighting as a dialogue between material, light, and emotion, designing pieces that shape atmosphere while remaining considered in function and longevity.
Poetics of Form
Through the interplay of light, form, and material, the studio’s work weaves traditional craftsmanship with modern sensibility. Each piece becomes a quiet study in reflection, direction, and shadow, using light to define space, mood, colour, and perception.
Collections are developed as modular and customisable, allowing for variation and personalisation while maintaining a clear design language rooted in craft and narrative.
From Concept to Crafted Light
MESEME’s lighting collections, both self-directed and collaborative feature an evolving range of made-to-order pieces, from table lamps and pendants to ceiling and wall fixtures.
Each design is conceptualised, crafted, and assembled in the London studio, evolving from intuitive paper models to refined prototypes and finished works. All fixtures are hand-finished and assembled in our London studio. Alongside this in-house making, the studio collaborates with skilled artisans and creatives across disciplines to explore new material and technical possibilities.
These partnerships reinterpret traditional crafts within a contemporary sculptural lighting language, introducing dynamic, handmade elements that challenge conventional notions of lighting design.
Our practice celebrates both artistry and responsibility. By integrating efficient light sources with responsibly sourced materials and small-batch production, each design reflects a commitment to sustainability and longevity.
Every piece is conceived with care for its full lifecycle, ensuring each light not only illuminates a space, but also tells a story of craft, connection, and enduring beauty.
Discover how our studio approach translates into customisable collections and bespoke commissions.
Design with Intention
SELECTED PRESS
DARC AWARDS 2021 | DARC MAGAZINE | DARC MAGAZINE - LDF 23 | CRAFTS MAGAZINE | ART & DESIGN MAGAZINE CHINA
SELECTED FEATURES (Online)
INTERVIEW - MKDL MEETS RIYA PANCHAL | ESTILA | DEZEEN | SEASON_ZINE | G.F SMITH - RETROSPECTIVE | ADORNO | MIX INTERIORS
SELECTED CLIENTS
ANGLOTHAI | HOUSE OF HONEY | NORTON FOLGATE & BRITISH LAND PLC | UNIVERSAL DESIGN STUDIO | INTERIEUR LONDON | AAMA STUDIO | FORBES + MASTERS | ECHLIN STUDIO | ELLIPSE DESIGN STUDIO | ICONIC SHOWCASE | MAY REDDING | LOOP AGENCY | RODMAN PAUL ARCHITECTS | SLOWBURN LONDON
WORKSHOPS &
STUDIO ACTIVATIONS
Alongside working closely with design-led interior professionals and clients on projects, remaining grounded in practice is essential to the studio. Workshops and studio activations form a vital part of the practice - from hands-on making sessions and open studios to public and community-led programmes, often developed in collaboration with fellow designers, artists, and craftspeople.
These sessions offer a relaxed and inclusive environment to work with materials, explore process, and experience the studio’s approach to light first-hand. Through hands-on making and conversation, the studio invites participants into the thinking behind the work, fostering connection, curiosity, and collective learning.
Talks & Workshops
TALK (SEPT 2025) - MESEME x Nicole Chui x Kira Phoenix Kinan (KPKinan Glass)
Design That Connects: A Conversation on Craft, Creative Chemistry and Collaboration
WORKSHOP (SEPT 2025) - MESEME x Nicole Chui
Sculpting in Thread - reframing our MANTIS Table Lamp design through embroidery at London Design Festival 2025
WORKSHOP (SEPT 2024) - MESEME x Make Stuff Club Collaboration on fixing and illustrating MANTIS Table Lamp Paper Shades
WORKSHOP (SEPT 2024) - MESEME x Make Stuff Club Collaboration on fixing and illustrating CONCHA Pendant Paper Shades, SEN Group.
PANEL TALK (FEB 2024) - Kingston School of Art, Alumni Panel Discussion “Our Creative Futures”
PANEL TALK (AUG 2021) - Getting started, The first 5 years after graduation, London Desing Festival, Panel Discussion Hosted by Sebastian Bergne
Exhibitions & Shows
SEPT 2025 - MESMERIK Collection launch as part of William Morris Design Line and London Design Festival
JUN 2025 - ‘MANTIS Table Lamp x Nicole Chui’ at Adorno’s show ‘15 Minutes of Fame’ as part of Other Circle Copenhagen at 3 Days of Design
SEPT 2024 - ‘MANTIS Table Lamp in Aluminium Finish’ at Makers Showcase by Blackhorse Workshop
JUN 2024 - ‘MARSHA Table Lamp in Honey Amber’ at Wow! House as art of ‘A Sitting Room’ by Studio Ashby and United in Design
MAY 2024 - ‘CONCHA Feature Installation’ at Future Icons Selects 2024 as part of London Craft Week
NOV 2024 - Iconic Showcase - pop-gallery space at New Bond Street
OCT 2023 - Formed with Future Heritage 2023 at Design Centre, Chelsea as Blackhorse Workshop Collective
SEPT 2023 - London Design Fair as part of London Design Festival 2023
SEPT 2023 - MESEME x Blackhorse Workshop Cafe - CHRYSALIS Private Pre-Launch Showcase
JUN 2022 - New Designers One Year In 2022 curated by Sally Angharad
OCT 2021 - ALMA Table Lamp Debut at Herman Miller x Kingston School of Art Showcase
CURIO - https://www.curio.space
ADORNO.DESIGN - https://adorno.design
Representation
Awards & Recognition
2024 GMUND AWARDS - CONCHA Collection nominated in art’s category.
2021 DARC AWARDS - ALMA Table Light Shortlisted Top10 (3rd Place)