Lonso

Six workshops, one atelier

A network of

small rooms.

Lonso does not own a factory. We work with six independent makers across Europe and Japan — in rooms that smell of beeswax, plaster, hot bronze and cold oil. We publish their names.

Sora Alvén — MalmöIsolde Meyer — BresciaFiadh O'Connell — CorkHaruto Mita — KanazawaElif Kaya — IstanbulMarek Wojtkowiak — WarsawSora Alvén — MalmöIsolde Meyer — BresciaFiadh O'Connell — CorkHaruto Mita — KanazawaElif Kaya — IstanbulMarek Wojtkowiak — WarsawSora Alvén — MalmöIsolde Meyer — BresciaFiadh O'Connell — CorkHaruto Mita — KanazawaElif Kaya — IstanbulMarek Wojtkowiak — WarsawSora Alvén — MalmöIsolde Meyer — BresciaFiadh O'Connell — CorkHaruto Mita — KanazawaElif Kaya — IstanbulMarek Wojtkowiak — Warsaw
01

Sora Alvén

Brass, turned · Since 2014

Malmö, Sweden
55.604°N
13.003°E

Architect turned metal-turner. Works on a 1963 Schaublin with the lights off, because the feed is felt, not seen.

02

Isolde Meyer

Bronze, cast · Since 2017

Brescia, Italy
45.540°N
10.219°E

Third-generation caster. Isolde runs a three-person foundry on the shore of Lake Iseo. Every pour is photographed.

03

Fiadh O'Connell

Bronze, carved · Since 2019

Cork, Ireland
51.898°N
8.475°W

Sculptor by training. Carves each Glyph with a chisel once owned by her grandfather, a sign-maker in County Kerry.

04

Haruto Mita

Copper, patinated · Since 2020

Kanazawa, Japan
36.561°N
136.656°E

Studied the kamaboko-plating tradition of the Kaga clan. Waits for Kanazawa's famous rain to time his oxidations.

05

Elif Kaya

Porcelain, slip-cast · Since 2022

Istanbul, Türkiye
41.015°N
28.979°E

Ran a ceramic studio in Karaköy before joining Lonso. Her moulds come from plasterwork in old Pera apartments.

06

Marek Wojtkowiak

Iron, rust-arrested · Since 2015

Warsaw, Poland
52.229°N
21.011°E

Former railway blacksmith. Arrests rust on his pieces at the exact stage it would have been thrown out at the depot.

Care & patina

Leave it alone.
Or don't.

Unlacquered brass will dim within weeks and deepen toward amber over years. Oil-rubbed bronze lightens at the high points where the hand touches most. Copper reddens, then greens. Porcelain accumulates scratches that catch the light.

None of this is damage. If you prefer the original tone, wipe with a soft cloth and a drop of lemon oil every six months. If you prefer the future tone, do nothing at all.

  • DailyDo nothing
  • WeeklyDry cloth
  • Half-yearlyLemon oil, if desired
  • YearlyResist the urge to polish