dialogue
Léa Mestres | Artist
May 2025
6 min read
Léa Mestres makes design feel light. Her world is one of colour, humour, instinct, and form. Whether it’s a mosaic lamp named after a road in Dubai or a table built piece by piece over hours of focused joy, her objects pulse with personality and play. They sit somewhere between sculpture and storytelling, created not just to be used but to be lived with. Léa exploded onto the international design scene with Galerie SCENE OUVERTE and is now showing with Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
Her work invites joy before judgement. It asks you to smile, to take a break from the weight of the everyday, and to imagine something softer, brighter, and freer. Léa’s journey through design has been shaped as much by what didn’t work out as by what did, including her expulsion from the Design Academy in Eindhoven, a turning point she credits with giving her the push to prove she belongs. What emerges is a creative voice grounded in emotion and curiosity, unafraid of being called too childish, and all the more powerful for it.
In this dialogue, Léa speaks candidly about her process, her love of colour, and the joy of naming lamps after friends, strangers, and film characters. She shares what drives her to keep exploring new materials like mosaics, why titles matter, and how each piece she makes is part of a larger, growing world. Welcome to Mestresville.
Photo courtesy of Léa Mestres.
Hey Léa, let’s go back to your time in Eindhoven. How did your studies there shape your design philosophy and approach?
“During my two years at Design Academy, I actually discovered the design gallery world. I started looking at big international galleries' work and discovered a lot of designers I did not know about. It was exciting!
I guess it also helped me to see the international side of Functional Art/Design. But you know I was kicked out of school so, it's also gave me the strength to prove that I belong here ahaha.”
Photo courtesy of Benjamin BACCARANI and Nicky Roding.
The titles of your works are often, if not always, personal names. It’s such a fun and unique approach! How do you come up with these names?
“Ahahah, first, you have to give names to your collections/objects: I try not to but then it's a mess. So I decided to named the collection Craving For Crépi. And the names came after, when I realized I spend so much time with my lamp, I started to choose colors or textures in similarities with some personalities I know or from a movie or a show. It’s fun to humanize them.
I have my new collection now Welcome to Mestresville, it’s a mosaic object collection, and all the object are name after addresses that inspire me, for example Sheik Zayed Road it's a huge Mosaic lamp name after this massive road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.”
Photo courtesy of Benjamin BACCARANI and Nicky Roding.
Your work has an extraordinary ability to transcend age, we have seen everyone from toddlers to grandparents stop, admire, and engage with your designs. What do you think enables your pieces to resonate so deeply across generations?
“That's really cool, thank you!
I try to do things that make me smile. It's nice to hear what makes me happy to connect with other people.
I would like to give people an opportunity to have a break from this anxious world to live in. Take a moment for your imagination. It could be a bit childish for some people, I heard it a lot during my studies. I don’t understand why it’s a problem. Everything has to be so serious all the time, give me a break ahah.”
Photo courtesy of Benjamin BACCARANI and Nicky Roding.
Colour plays a central role in your work. How do you choose your colour palettes, and what emotions or responses do you hope they evoke in your audience?
“Everyone has their own relationship with colors: I like colors. Still in this idea of taking a break from the real world, with these bright, light, fun colors. It’s also a way to create your own universe. I feel that using colors gave me freedom in a way.
I could not say why or how I choose a color, I have no idea, it’s a vibe i guess ahah.”
Photo courtesy of Benjamin BACCARANI and Nicky Roding.
Reflecting on your career so far, is there a particular piece or project that holds special significance to you? What makes it stand out?
“Tough one. It’s a long process of creation. Some pieces are getting closer to what I am looking for, so they have special significance for me but that doesn't mean they are perfect. Like my Ava and Dixie lamp, they really represent that creative moment.
I have this new interest in mosaics now. I did the 3 Carrer Del Bau for my show with the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris. It's a mosaic table, it takes me hours to do but it’s so cool to do.
This one is a special project for me now, it's a new chapter I hope!”
Photo courtesy of Léa Mestres.
You have such a bright future ahead and have already accomplished so much. What advice would you give to aspiring designers who hope to leave their mark on the world of design?
“Make it fun!”
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