Xochiquetzal by Fanie Simon

This artwork’s title is a homage to the Aztec goddess of flowers, beauty, and art.

The piece is a geometric celebration of the regenerative spirit of nature. It features an arrangement of different woods which frame epoxy resin inlays. Within the resin, real pressed flowers and leaves are eternally preserved, embodying the goddess’s dominion over ephemeral beauty.

The piece explores the sacred dialogue between enduring structure and the vibrant cycle of life. The grounding wood contrast with the delicate, yet dominant, flora, inviting the viewer to contemplate the symmetrical and life-giving beauty that underpins both craftsmanship and the wild heart of the natural world and the metal leaf highlights suggesting a luminous pulse within nature’s quiet order as a reflection on life’s delicate abundance and its eternal return.

Fanie Simon (b. 1986) is a Swiss artist and designer whose practice spans woodworking, furniture design, and visual art. Originally from Basel, she spent several years in Tulum, Mexico, where she developed her interest in designing and building furniture, a path that ultimately led her to the creation of her unique artworks.

Simon describes her pieces as “wood mosaics” or “puzzles,” reflecting her intuitive approach to composition as a form of meditation. She places one piece of wood next to another, often randomly, letting patterns and symmetries emerge organically. In the process of finding balance, she notes a connection to the Rorschach test, revealing her meticulous yet playful engagement with form. Each artwork is a result of weeks of experimentation: starting, reworking, discarding, and reassembling, with the final state often documented photographically before a new iteration begins. Sketches are rare; the work evolves directly through material and intuition.

This artwork was part of THE HOUSE WE CARRY exhibition in November 2025.