Mario Lopez Torres Benches
In the mountains of Mexico, furniture designer and master weaver Mario Lopez Torres works with locally sourced organic materials to painstakingly craft complex and elegant decorative objects, tables and seating.
Originally from Mexico City, Torres apprenticed for his father, who was a professional photographer, and at 13 years old enrolled in a school for the fine arts, as he had by then become deeply interested in illustration and working with clay. At 20, Torres pursued a dream of designing furniture — specifically, weaving. He traveled to Altepexi, a municipality in Puebla, to learn how its artisans wove works from a wooden vegetable reed that is native to the region.
Torres sought mentorship from the prevalent artists Ana Pellicer and James Metcalf in order to learn how to work with metal, as he would need to create frames of brass and copper that supported his woven structures. Torres traveled to the United States to purchase metalworking equipment and went on to establish his own workshop in a small mountain village back in Mexico.
Torres put his hands and imagination to work — he harvested courses of chuspata, which is a reed that grows abundantly on the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, and welded frames that the reed is woven around. He sold his first piece of furniture in 1974.
Today, Torres creates works that are characterized by his affinity for nature. His palm floor lamps feature woven rattan — a light and versatile material that can mingle with a wide range of styles — while the lifelike monkeys, birds and other animals that support his tables, table lamps or adorn his mirror frames are crafted from chuspata and take on whimsical poses. They create a playful, provocative presence in any space.
Find Mario Lopez Torres seating, lighting and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Iron
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Iron
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Iron
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Iron
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Wicker
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Metal
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Wicker
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Rosewood
2010s Mexican Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Steel
19th Century British Rustic Antique Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Wood
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Leather, Upholstery, Velvet
2010s Organic Modern Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Elm
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Metal, Chrome
20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Wood
19th Century British Rustic Antique Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Wood
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Mahogany
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Iron
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Iron
1970s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Reed
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Copper
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Copper
1970s Mexican Vintage Mario Lopez Torres Benches
Copper