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.
Pair of Mario Torres Lopez Rattan Monkeys in Palm Tree Sconces
By Mario Lopez Torres
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Rattan Monkey's on a Palm Tree, Attributed to Mario Lopez Torres. The pair are wonderful flanking a doorway or entry way and especially great in a home near the water or a ...
Metal, Brass
$4,175Sale Price / set|10% Off
H 27.96 in W 14.57 in D 6.3 in
Pair of Wall Lamp Sconce in Gold Patina and White Lamp Shades
By Aymeric Lefort
Located in SENLIS, OISE
Pair of wall lamp sconce in gold patina and white lamp shades, wooden baze in chestnut. Four lampshade in white fabric and golden braid. Information about the covid 19. At this poi...
Metal
$3,523 / set
H 8.27 in W 4.34 in D 9.85 in
Pair of Italian Vintage Adjustable Sconces Wall Lights, 1950s
By Angelo Lelii, Stilnovo
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of beautiful adjustable wall lights. Italy, 1950s.
Brass, Metal, Aluminum
$3,041 / set
H 12.6 in W 9.06 in D 4.34 in
Pair of Italian Vintage Sculptural Brass Sconces Wall Lights 1950s
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of beautiful solid brass wall lights. Italy, 1940s - 1950s Height without bulbs: 12.5".
Brass
Pair of French Deco Sunflower Wall Sconces, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
This delightful pair of early 20th Century wall sconces exemplifies French Art Deco lighting with sculptural form and a soft, delicate appeara...
Metal
$2,995 / set
H 16 in W 12 in D 4 in
Pair of Mid-Century Italian Gilt Hollywood Regency Potted Flowers Wall Sconces
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This pair of Mid-Century Modern gilt metal and glass wall sconces are unsigned but presumed to have been made in Italy in circa 1965. These sconces are done with a potted flowers motif using gilt finished metal with glass accents. The main flower is done with a ruffled metal surround featuring a cut clear glass center. The branches and leaves are done in a thick Brutalist styled textured iron and each leaf is accented with textured glass. Under each ruffled metal cup of these double candle sconces...
Metal
$45Sale Price|80% Off
H 35.75 in W 11.5 in D 6 in
Tropical Exterior Metal Painted Palm Tree Wall Sculpture
Located in Miami, FL
Tropical exterior metal painted palm tree wall sculpture. Offered for sale is a tropical, outdoor mixed metal painted palm tree wall sculpt...
Metal, Copper
$10,200 / set
H 56 in W 15.75 in D 8.5 in
Massive Supersized very large pair of French Mid-Century Sconces Mathieu Matégot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in New York City, NY
An extraordinary pair of huge, monumental and magnificent Mid-Century Modern, Industrial French sconces of tapering form with perforated steel backs and thermoplastic celluloid sheaths housed by nickeled bronze tubular frames ending in heavy nickeled tassel...
Steel
$1,895
H 21 in W 14 in D 10 in
Large Hollywood Regency Italian Tole Metal & Wood Palm Frond Wall Sconces -Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a large scale pair of Hollywood Regency Era Italian palm frond wall sconces. The colors are warm gold, pumpkin, and garnet. The bobeches are carved wood. They are marked.
Metal
$3,120Sale Price|20% Off
H 39.5 in W 34 in D 3.75 in
Curtis C. Jere Brass Palm Tree Frond Leaf Wall Hanging Metal Tropical Beach
By Curtis Jeré
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Beautiful vintage Curtis C. Jere brass palm frond leaf tree wall hanging. Ready to hang. Some patina spots on the back side and a few on some side le...
Brass
French Mid-Century Painted Tole Palm Tree
Located in Southampton, NY
French Mid-Century painted tole palm tree.
Impressive Over Scale Textile Art "Tree of Life"
Located in New York, NY
70"- Diameter wall hanging 3-D macrame sculpture. Late 70's "Hippie Style" decorative art depicting a tree with mountains in the background. The piec...
Wool
Pair Of Florentine Gilt Metal Floral Sconces
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Fine decorative pair of Florentine gilt metal wall sconces with floral bouquet motifs incorporating winding vines, pointed leaves, and three petaled sconces for candles. The stems me...
Metal
Folky Mario Torres Three-Panel Folding Screen
By Mario Lopez Torres
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Folky Mario Torres three-panel folding screen or wall hanging made with a metal frame wrapped with wicker or reed and depicting an elephant with palm trees and flowers.
Reed
Pair of Mario Torres Wicker Owl Wall Ornaments or Sconces
By Mario Lopez Torres
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Midcentury wicker wall ornaments or sconces crafted in wicker wrapped over a metal frame depicting a simple hour glass basket form with owls perched on the tops. Signed Mario Torres ...
Wicker, Reed
Folky Mario Torres Three-Panel Folding Screen
By Mario Lopez Torres
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Folky Mario Torres three-panel folding screen or wall hanging made with a metal frame wrapped with wicker or reed and depicting an elephant with palm trees and flowers.
Reed