Philia
Magazine
Beatriz Bolibar
Beatriz Bolibar is a Barcelona-based interior designer and ceramic artist, and the founder of Cuit Studio. Trained in Interior Design at BAU and later completing a master’s degree in Hospitality Design at Elisava, she developed her early career working across high-end kitchens, as well as bars and restaurants in Amsterdam. While her professional path initially unfolded within hospitality, her focus gradually shifted toward the home — intimate, lived-in spaces shaped by light, material, and everyday rituals.
Working with ceramics since the beginning of her career, Bolibar developed a parallel practice that has become central to her work. What began as an intuitive and personal exploration evolved into a tactile extension of her spatial thinking, allowing her to move between scale, from architecture to object.
Through Cuit Studio, she brings together interior architecture and hand-built stoneware pieces — often conceived as lighting, vessels, or quiet sculptural forms that inhabit domestic environments. Her work is guided by a slow, material-driven process rooted in craftsmanship, where texture, weight, and imperfection are embraced as essential qualities.
Balancing structure with sensitivity, her practice reflects a contemporary approach to living — one that values restraint, atmosphere, and emotional resonance over spectacle. Each project and object is conceived as part of a broader narrative of the home, where design is not only seen, but lived with over time.
Chanel Kapitanj
Chanel Kapitanj is a Belgian designer and metalworker based in Liège, where she founded her eponymous studio in 2017. Trained in industrial design and later in welding and metal fabrication, she has developed a practice that merges collectible design, furniture, and architectural metalwork through a deeply hands-on approach.
Working primarily with steel and other metals, Kapitanj explores the balance between precision, texture, and material expression. Her work is characterized by minimalist forms, refined craftsmanship, and a fascination with the transformative possibilities of metal, from sculptural furniture and lighting to custom architectural elements.
Guided by a philosophy of restraint and material honesty, Chanel Kapitanj creates pieces that highlight the tactile and visual qualities of metal while maintaining a strong sense of simplicity, functionality, and permanence.
Patricia Bustos
Patricia Bustos is a Spanish designer and founder of Patricia Bustos Studio, an interdisciplinary practice based in Madrid working across interiors, furniture, and collectible design. Guided by a pursuit of beauty and emotional experience, her work creates immersive environments that merge architecture, art, and craftsmanship, balancing functionality with a distinctly expressive visual language.
Drawing inspiration from nature, fashion, philosophy, and contemporary art, Bustos develops spaces and objects that navigate between reality and imagination. Characterized by bold colour palettes, organic forms, and a dialogue between handcrafted materials and innovative techniques, her practice reinterprets traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary lens, creating environments that are both poetic and deeply experiential.
Laura Pasquino Picks From Philia Collection
Laura Pasquino is a ceramic artist based in Amsterdam whose practice explores the expressive potential of form, texture, and material. Having developed her practice across Kyoto, Lisbon, and now the Netherlands, she draws inspiration from the rhythms and formations of the natural world, creating works that balance sculptural presence with quiet functionality.
Working primarily with spherical forms, Pasquino creates vessels and sculptures that celebrate the spontaneity and tactile qualities of clay. Through earthy palettes, organic textures, and a refined sense of simplicity, her pieces evoke a harmonious dialogue between nature and craftsmanship. Alongside her exhibition and installation work, she collaborates on bespoke commissions for architectural spaces, interior design projects, and selected brands.
Isabel Moncada
Isabel Moncada is a Mexican designer and artist known for her sculptural lighting and collectible objects. Based in Guadalajara, she has spent more than three decades exploring traditional craft techniques, developing her own methods and mechanisms to transform materials into expressive works that balance functionality with artistic experimentation.
Drawing inspiration from organic forms, asymmetry, and the richness of handmade processes, Moncada works across materials including metal, blown glass, porcelain, and cast elements. Her practice merges design, engineering, and craftsmanship, resulting in lighting pieces distinguished by their sculptural presence, material complexity, and poetic sense of form.
kar Picks From Philia Collection
kar is a contemporary design brand whose practice is rooted in the principles of Oriental philosophy, exploring the relationship between tradition and modernity through collectible furniture and objects. Derived from the Sanskrit root of karma, the brand reflects on the interconnected nature of creation, where material, process, memory, and emotion shape the final work. Drawing inspiration from art, literature, culture, and personal experience, kar- creates pieces that seek to evoke emotional resonance through restrained forms and thoughtful material exploration.
Guided by a process that values sensibility as much as craftsmanship, the studio continually experiments with techniques and materials to expand the possibilities of contemporary design. Fiberglass has become one of its signature mediums, chosen for its ability to achieve fluid, organic forms while maintaining structural strength. Through meticulous hand-finishing and decades of artisanal expertise, each piece reveals a refined, jade-like surface that celebrates the dialogue between human emotion, material transformation, and timeless craftsmanship.
Contain
CONTAIN is a design studio founded by Mauricio Obarrio and Juan Peralta that brings together contemporary design, local craftsmanship, and industrial production. Rooted in Mallorca, the studio creates lighting and objects that explore the relationship between materiality, simplicity, and innovation.
Working closely with artisans and manufacturers, CONTAIN develops pieces distinguished by their refined forms, natural materials, and thoughtful functionality. Drawing inspiration from the island’s cultural heritage, the studio seeks to reinterpret traditional techniques through a contemporary lens, fostering a dialogue between local craftsmanship, modern technology, and design.
