Kawabi Studio Reimagines Chinese Lanterns as Diasporic Art

Design studio Kawabi, founded in 2024 by Aaron and Irisa Chan-Kawabi, creates handcrafted lamps that reinterpret Chinese lantern typology through a contemporary, diasporic lens. The couple, who met at Parsons School of Design, launched their New York studio after maintaining separate practices—Irisa as a product designer, Aaron as a fabricator. Their first piece, the 'Souvenir' lamp, a kozo paper lantern in a wood frame, emerged from a need to furnish their home. Subsequent works reference bonsai trees, legumes, and folding screens, often using Japanese lantern-making techniques. A collaboration with ceramic artist Christopher Merchant produced 'Amica', exploring new materials and perspectives. The designers describe their lamps as 'cross-cultural relics' that reflect their personal histories: Irisa, born in China and raised in Massachusetts, and Aaron, born in Brooklyn to Hong Kong emigrants. They aim to reclaim heritage within an American context, filling gaps left by lost family stories. All work is done by hand in their studio, with an iterative process that prioritizes personal meaning over tradition. The studio's approach challenges the stereotypical symmetrical red or white lanterns commonly seen in the US, offering asymmetrical, irregular forms that embody their unique experience as part of the diaspora.