Mary Wallis Open Studio

Mary Wallis is a contemporary lighting designer whose lighting is an adornment to fine houses and private collections throughout the world. Her work has been featured in Elle Décor, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Wallpaper* Magazine, and Vogue. The Financial Times described her as ‘embodying what contemporary New York lighting design is about’. Mary’s designs are known for their sophisticated combination of historical references, stylized natural forms, and materials layering. Her work is further distinguished by old-world artisanal techniques that yield heirloom-quality pieces. Born in Australia, she began painting at four years old. For the next two decades, she studied painting with the same teacher, who emphasized cultivating chi (flow, or lifeforce energy) within artworks. Continuing her practice to this day, she paints almost exclusively with black ink on rice paper. Her lifelong fascination with the orderly beauty of nature would lead her to study biology at the Australian National University and the University of Cambridge, receiving her Ph.D. in genetics in 2006. She then studied design at Parsons and at the Pratt Institute, and founded her studio in New York in 2012. Mary has worked with some of the most sought-after talent in the industry, including AD100 designers Ken Fulk and Kelly Wearstler. Installation and exhibition highlights include Bergdorf Goodman, Yves Saint Laurent, the Salon of Art and Design, Wallpaper* Handmade, and Venice Design to coincide with the Venice Biennale.