The Story Behind MORA: A Collaboration Between MESEME Studio & Atelier Korbo
The best collaborations often begin with a conversation. Ours began with a commission and a shared curiosity.
For us, MORA became both.
What began as a private commission soon evolved into a shared design language between our founder & lighting designer-maker Riya Panchal of MESEME Studio and furniture designer-maker of Atelier Korbo, bringing together two independent practices to explore how furniture and lighting could inform one another.
Combining architectural hardwood forms with sculpted paper diffusers, MORA sits between functional lighting and sculptural object, balancing permanence with lightness, and craftsmanship with contemporary lighting design.
A Meeting of Two Practices
Our collaboration began at Blackhorse Workshop in North East London, where our studios were just a few doors apart. Although we worked in different disciplines, we shared a similar appreciation for craftsmanship, honest materials and making by hand.
When Dex approached Riya to develop the lighting for a private commission, it felt like a natural opportunity to combine two specialist practices. Influenced by traditional woodworking techniques and his French-Caribbean heritage, Dex’s work explores the warmth, permanence and expressive qualities of solid hardwood. Riya’s approach complemented this with specialist expertise in lighting design, paper craftsmanship and electrical integration, allowing light to become an integral part of the object from the beginning.
Rather than following a fixed brief, MORA evolved through conversation, prototyping and refinement. Ideas were challenged, proportions adjusted and details simplified until each element felt considered and essential.
“What excited me most was the contrast between our design languages. Bringing my sculpted paper forms together with Dex’s architectural hardwood structures challenged us to find a shared language through conversation, making and trust in each other’s expertise. The result feels true to both of our practices.”
“Coming from a furniture background, collaborating with a lighting designer challenged me to think beyond form and construction. MORA became an opportunity to explore how timber, light and craftsmanship could exist as one.”
EXPLORE THE COLLECTION
MORA collection comprises two handcrafted, made-to-order pieces, each shaped by our shared design process.
The MORA Floor Lamp combines a monolithic, handcrafted hardwood base with a softly illuminated paper structure, exploring the balance between solidity and lightness, permanence and movement.
Crafted using traditional joinery and carefully selected timber, the architectural base is shaped through a deliberate, material-led process that emphasises proportion, clean lines, and the natural character of the wood. Formed through tension and fold, the paper structure transforms under illumination, introducing warmth, softness, and atmosphere. Together, these contrasting materials and making processes create a sculptural lighting object that feels grounded in material and softened by light.
Collaboratively created by lighting designer-maker Riya Panchal of MESEME Studio and designer-maker Dex Vallon of Atelier Korbo.
Prices from £2000 + VAT
Made to Order: 4-6 Weeks
Download Tear Sheet
The MORA Table Light combines a monolithic hardwood form with sculpted illuminated paper elements, exploring the balance between architectural presence and soft, organic form.
Crafted using traditional joinery and carefully selected timber, the architectural body is shaped through a deliberate, material-led process that emphasises proportion, clean lines, and the natural character of the wood. Positioned on both sides, the paper structures are formed through tension and fold, creating a rhythmic, wave-like profile that transforms under illumination to reveal texture, depth, and a softly diffused glow.
Together, these materials and making processes create a sculptural lighting fixture that feels grounded in material and animated by light.
Collaboratively created by lighting designer-maker Riya Panchal of MESEME Studio and designer-maker Dex Vallon of Atelier Korbo.
Prices from £1000 + VAT
Made to Order: 4-6 Weeks
Download Tear Sheet
