Deceres is a Los Angeles-based studio that reenvisions the sacral and austere into approachable objects for daily rituals. Monolithic forms, severe lines, and narrow voids – with religiosity all distilled through the lens of reductionism – act as an ode to the juxtaposition between stark structures and delicate humanness.

Founded on a shared ethos by Denise Martinez and Jorge Arturo Ibarra in 2020 – both with roots in Baja – the two met in Southern California where a decade later Deceres came to be. The duality of having lived between those worlds informs their outlook and approach to design, and the physical manifestations of their own introspections. Through collaboration with artisans in Mexico and California, each piece is carefully handcrafted, highlighting the uniqueness of each piece. Deceres pieces have a purposeful functionality – they stand out, but do not distract or compete with their surroundings.

The design of Deceres furniture mixes the textures from Mexico’s churches and their own goth-inflected sensibilities. Indeed, there is something ceremonial and austere to the work that is texturally rich, while retaining a modernism of clean angles. All of Deceres’s products are made in Mexico City by local artisans, which allows the designers to reconnect with their roots, but also to get the final results just right. Because of lack of ornamentation in their work, there is nowhere to hide, and the process becomes about materials and texture.