María Eugenia Diego (Kokon)

KOKON, the personal project of the artist María Eugenia Diego, makes us rethink how human beings relate to beauty and nature. ‘They are an inherent part of us. They do us a lot of good and we really need them’, she notes, ‘especially in cities’. To this effect, Diego uses natural elements to design spaces which create a stronger connection and experience for viewers. It is no coincidence that Diego is an architect: her knowledge and concern about the places in which she intervenes is clear to see.

KOKON often works with natural elements that are not commonly seen in classic floral arrangements and more closely associated with textile production or craftsmanship, such as linen and esparto grass. With a sense of precision and delicacy the artist achieves exquisite results from materials with a seemingly coarse appearance.

In 2018, after many years working as an architect in various studios, Diego decided to make a radical career change, delving into the world of floral design. A year and a half at the LOEWE Flores store and a pandemic were the perfect breeding ground for creating her own project, KOKON, with which she has won FLORA Festival’s Patio Talento 2022.