Introducing Teno

Lifestyle brand Lumio has launched a Kickstarter campaign to realise Teno, a sculptural speaker and light inspired by the art of kintsugi and our connection to nature

Architect, designer and entrepreneur Max Gunawan, founder of lifestyle brand Lumio, was inspired by kintsugi and our biophilic tendencies when he created his latest product: a unique, organically shaped speaker, light and sculpture combination called Teno. Made from cast sand and natural resin, Teno is not only pleasing to the eye, but tactile to touch.

‘This project began with a walk in the forest. I found myself surrounded by the sounds of nature, birds chirping and water streaming in the distance — without seeing where they were coming from. It felt magical. I went home and got to work. I set about creating a speaker that employed a similar magic, hiding the source of its sound,’ Gunawan explained in Teno’s press release.

Teno is switched on by gently ‘cracking’ the orb open along a gold-painted line. The light is operated by hand gestures, with four levels of lighting available, and sound is controlled via a simple caress. Far from being yet another piece of distracting technology, Teno has been designed to keep us connected with nature.

‘I want to break the cycle of yearly upgrades and obsolescence. I want to focus instead on delight, beauty and a quiet joy — that feeling I get when I drink my morning coffee from an old ceramic cup that’s only gotten more beautiful over time,’ the designer said.

Text / Suzy Annetta
Images / Courtesy of Lumio

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Teno launches on Kickstarter on 20 October