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Maria Zepeda

Central Saint Martins

I am Maria Zepeda, a product and furniture designer from Mexico. I recently graduated from the MA Design: Ceramic, Furniture, and Jewellery course at Central Saint Martins in London. My work explores material traceability, tactility, and the expressive potential of natural materials, especially through contrast, balance, and interdependence. In my recent furniture collection, I focus on the relationship between ceramic and wood, materials often seen as opposites. By allowing one to support the other, I challenge assumptions about fragility and strength. For instance, ceramic, typically viewed as delicate, acts as the structural base for wood, becoming a symbol of mutual support and unexpected harmony. Sustainability is central to my practice. I aim to simplify material choices and use natural joints like wooden hinges, avoiding screws or adhesives whenever possible. With a background in product design and experience working alongside architects on interior design projects, I am deeply interested in how objects shape and respond to the spaces they inhabit. My work explores how materials, space, and users interact, generating opportunities for coexistence, reflection, and emotional connection. I seek to reframe how we see materials, not just for their function, but as storytellers of our relationship with place.

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Sunset Tales

Category: Furniture

Competitions: Home Competition 2025

Sunset Tales is a furniture collection that explores the dialogue between wood and extruded ceramic. Drawing inspiration from architectural arches, ceramic extrusion techniques, and the colour gradients found in Mexican cactus, the project rethinks material relationships. It investigates what happens when the perceived fragility of stoneware and terracotta is placed in structural tension with the solidity of wood. Each composition brings together two sculptural elements that form a functional piece, celebrating texture, strength, and expressive capacity in furniture. Through this work, I want to invite viewers to reflect on balance, support, and the unexpected harmony found when this two materials meet. This project is part of a broader study on how ceramic and wood can be joined. It re-examines conventional roles by using ceramic extrusion, a process often linked to mass production, as a method to scale handmade forms. Through this, it connects the unique qualities of ceramic and wood in new ways. The project also investigates themes of revisiting luxury through craft, exploring how handmade, unique objects can express value, emotion, and cultural meaning in high-end design. It positions sculptural furniture as a space between art and design, where heritage and visible making take center stage. The pieces are made with wood sourced in Mexico and handcrafted in collaboration with a local carpenter, using biscuit joints and glue to minimize material use. I transported them to London in my suitcase and created the ceramic elements at the CSM workshop. This process reflects a merging of two cultures, Mexico and the UK, and mirrors my personal journey as a Mexican navigating a new life in London. It’s a narrative of movement, collaboration, and adaptation Moving forward, I’m interested in exploring how using locally sourced materials, such as clay and wood, can tell the story of the place where each piece is made. These pieces are made to last, not only because of their materials but because they carry a story. They reflect care, identity, and the potential of local materials to speak about place, memory, and emotional connection.

In association with Arts Thread

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.