We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Quiñonez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

That’s a hard one. If I had to choose, I’d have to pick two.

The Wild Noodle sculpture at Garfield Elementary in DC is one, because it’s a piece that kids get to interact with every day over a period of time. It becomes part of their environment, unlike something you see once or once in awhile. That piece is also special for me because it was a chance to expand into outdoor sculpture.

The Wings at Sky Plaza in Houston, Texas is another, because it’s a healthcare environment and if a piece can distract the viewer from a possibly challenging situation or mindset for even a little while, thats a small, good thing. Also, the logistics and planning for that space with its 90′ ceilings was a fun challenge.

Lisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Art, design, and hands-on fabrication run in my family. My father started me on computers at an early age and my mother was a skilled artist in a number of mediums. I helped her fabricate art pieces in her studio in Puerto Rico growing up. When I was living in New York City, I was mainly a musician and my money/side job was working for a guy from a family of architects that designed and built very large tensile structures. When I moved to Los Angeles, I was suddenly on my own art-wise, so I started experimenting with forms and that’s how I started Studio Lilica.

I design modern, sculptural lighting and large-scale suspended kinetic artwork for open atriums and other public spaces. The pieces float in space on thin cables and move gently with available airflow. The forms are mainly inspired by mathematical ‘minimal surfaces’ such as the Catenoid, the Helicoid, and the Enneper Surface. I also design sculptural acoustic solutions because that’s something that people are always asking for – especially in hospitality environments.

I can create a lot of volume without the mass. More and more spaces are open and soaring and totally empty. So people are looking to fill the space in a way that’s interesting and impactful for the end user. My sculptural solutions work because they provide lightweight, organic forms that (I hope) people find beautiful, while also providing visual interest and even noise abatement.

I like to think that the organic nature of the forms is something that I am always working to elevate. Also, I love getting design direction from clients, then surprising them with solutions they might not have considered; when it works, it feels like pulling a rabbit from a hat.

I’m proud of the fact that I’m able to get my brain to translate an idea into something real. I’m also so grateful that beauty matters, and that I’ve been given the chance to keep trying; to keep making things that might uplift spaces and spirits.

I just want it to be beautiful. That being said, the art needs to work for the client and the space. I like to think that I’m a good listener, communicator and collaborator and that the result is always the best outcome for the space and the folks who will be experiencing the work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had to change directions a number of times in terms of trying to sell work. My first ‘real job’ was building set pieces for a TV pilot, and I thought that’s what I’d be doing for awhile; but then some images of my work got picked up by an Interiors magazine and that opened up new opportunities, along with a new learning curve. Next, within that market, there was a recession that took the hospitality industry out, so I started to concentrate on healthcare environments. Luckily, that shift just happened to coincide with the focus on Wellness in healthcare design. The main thing is to just ‘hang in there’ – like the kitten poster.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the best thing is the process – conceptualizing, problem solving, finessing details, fabricating, then photographing the finished piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studiolilica.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiolilica/

Image Credits

All images ©Studio Lilica 2025 with the exception of Sky Plaza which is ©IDEA Art Consulting 2025