At Byrne, we embrace opportunities to highlight artists whose work reflects the creative spirit of our culture and community. This year, as Byrne strengthens our roots in Mexico, it felt right to collaborate with a local Mexican artist whose values and vision align with our own. Enter Emilia Schettino, Byrne’s 2025 Artist of the Year. Her large-scale murals, now featured at the new Byrne Mexico Facility in Tlalpan, bring our shared story to life—where art and innovation come together to power meaningful, everyday connections.
What drew Byrne to Emilia was her refreshing, handcrafted, humanistic style. In the era of AI, seeing something hand-drawn and heartfelt is a nice break from the computer-generated nature of the modern world. Her freehand approach also mirrors Byrne’s mindset of innovation: don’t overthink it. New ideas thrive when the mind embraces experimentation, and straight lines aren’t required during a brainstorm session.
Emilia was excited to work with Byrne after learning about the company’s commitment to community and connection, as this was something that struck a chord with her own values, and inspired her thinking for the project.
“I wanted to go beyond illustrating a product and instead create a visual story about how connection goes beyond function, it’s about people coming together, sharing moments, and building relationships in everyday life.”
The illustrations capture those connections—people working, playing, creating, living—all interwoven by the flowing lines of power cords. These cords serve as subtle visual links, representing the invisible bonds that connect us all, and Byrne’s role in keeping people connected.
This isn’t our first time teaming up with an artist. Since 2005, Byrne’s Powerful Design initiative has been blending self-expression and customization with power. Collaborating with artists like Emilia helps us explore how design can spark inspiration while still serving a purpose. You can read more about our past collaborations here.
To celebrate the completion of the murals in Mexico, Byrne created a collection of t-shirts, notebooks, phone cases, and framed prints featuring Emilia’s artwork, giving team members in both the U.S. and Mexico new ways to wear, share, and stay connected through design.
If you’re interested in checking out more of Emilia’s work, check out her online portfolio and Instagram page.
