The Collaboration
Khu Khu teamed up with Miami-based multi-disciplinary artist Francisca Oyhanarte for the magical, Ancient-Egyptian inspired collection, Breath of Life.
Francisca Oyhanarte and Khu Khu was a natural partnership due to a shared interest in bold, modern and exclusive design and a mutual passion for fans.
Francisca Oyhanarte
Francisca Oyhanarte is a multidisciplinary artist born in Argentina who moved to Miami in 2015 - where her life was forever changed. Miami became her main inspiration and she quickly embraced her new lifestyle and included this powerful source of light to her artworks.
She works with scissors, creating unique and surreal artworks using multi-coloured paper and magic spells to assure the intention of the piece. For this purpose, she consecrates her artworks in order to serve as magic protective shields, bringing positive healing effects on every environment they enter. Francisca elevates and activates the chakras through colour, creating healing energy waves and producing visionary and uplifting effects on those who witness her experiments.
Those artworks are just the beginning of the trip, as they later transform into gigantic inflatables, murals, animation movies, live visuals performances, basket courts, installations, limited edition paper prints and now fans!!
Her mission is to make art inclusive for everyone, allowing them to express their latent desires, personalities and fantasies through her art, regardless of their knowledge of art and their purchasing power.
She considers her artworks to be an extension of her soul. They exist in a state of perpetual balance between the forces of light and dark, between the imagined and the real; the ouroboric unity between beginning and end. All elements she brings to her work.
Designing the collection
Soon after meeting Francisca and recognising our shared passion for bold, original design, I shared with her some possible themes for the collection. It was soon clear that the mystical world of Ancient Egypt connected with both of us. Khu Khu’s brand name originates from the Egyptian fan Khu (meaning breath of life and protection) and Francisca often draws on symbolism and mythological worlds in her work, consecrating her collages to serve as magic protective shields.
Khu Khu were honoured to witness first hand Francisca's process, her talent, skill and exceptional eye working together to make a truly exceptional and unique collection of fans. Once again the mythical powers of the Egyptian gods and the symbols that represent them come alive in this collection, activating our chakras through Francisca ́s use of colour and form. These fans will produce healing waves of energy and inspire visionary, uplifting effects on all that see them.
The animations
To accompany each of the hand-fans, Francisca also designed a series of stunningly hypnotic animations. Head over to the product pages, and scroll through the images to see her creations.
The signed postcards
There are just 50 of each Hand-fan in the Collection in existence. Each one supplied with a numbered postcard, signed by Francisca. Truly a collector's edition.
The Collection in Francisca's words
"Collaborating with Khu Khu on our Breath of Life collection was pure magic. My work revolves around channelling energy through colour and light, and this partnership was the perfect opportunity to bring those elements to life in a tangible, wearable way.
We drew inspiration from the mysticism of Egyptian symbolism—a culture that deeply understood the connection between energy, spirit, and art. What better way to infuse these qualities than through the delicate elegance of handcrafted hand-fans?
Each piece feels like a living extension of that energy, carrying the essence of movement, light, and history in every gesture. It’s been incredible to see these fans transform into more than just accessories - they’ve become powerful tools of expression."