Apapuchi is a sculptural table lamp whose name comes from vernacular Sonoran Spanish, meaning to carry someone on your shoulders. It represents an expression of care, protection, and inheritance.
The piece is composed of stacked ceramic totem forms, hand-built and textured to reference natural landscapes, Mexican ceramic traditions, and architectural elements found in Mesoamerican ruins. The lamp is topped with a hand block-printed textile shade inspired by the mask-like facades of Uxmal, featuring abstracted eyes oriented toward the cardinal directions.
Apapuchi draws from a long history of cultural exchange visible in pre-Columbian pottery produced along trade routes between Mesoamerican and northern Indigenous communities. These historical objects reveal how blended visual languages emerged through contact, trade, and shared material knowledge—long before contemporary ideas of globalization. This lamp continues that lineage, merging multiple references into a cohesive, contemporary form.
Each layer carries its own surface and contour, suggesting how identity evolves across generations. Identity is never fixed, never replicated, but shaped over time. The printed eyes, inspired by representations of deities, are reimagined as watchful and forward-looking, emphasizing awareness, movement, and choice.
Designed to function as both light source and sculptural object, Apapuchi invites close viewing and daily use. It embodies a layered Mexican-American perspective while remaining open-ended, offering collectors a piece that is materially rich, historically grounded, and emotionally resonant.
Red, white, and brown clay. Block-printed cotton shade.
| Plug | Type A/B (US) Can be adapted to destination) |
|---|---|
| Bulb | A14 5.5W 3000K 500Lm |
| Voltage | 110-120V |
| Cord length (cm) | 180 |
| Switch | On cord |
| Dimensions LxWxH | 23x23x45cm (9x9x18'') |
| Piece Weight (kg) | 4 |
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