When we started making light fixtures, as design students, our single most focus was to combine artistry in glass and illumination to a mix that none of them took away from the other. A fixture can be beautiful and yet the light it casts might be blinding or dim. Alternatively, the light intensity may be perfect and yet the fixture itself offers no visual stimulus when the light is switched off. Our main goal was to create beautiful glass light fixtures that are both art and light.
But this is the technical side of things. As artists, we were always drawn to nature.
We, Deeksha and I, as glass artists were always drawn to nature, and it has been one of our greatest inspirations. So when we started studying light, we found the play of light and shadow that we naturally see in nature, very invigorating. We knew we had to capture this essence in glass. The delicate shadows casted by leaves, the gentle shimmer of sun through the branches, the translucence of leaves against the sun- it almost felt impossible to capture it all.
And perhaps this is why our Plumeria Chandelier stays so close to our heart.
With all the impossibilities and restrictions of our world, we went onto create a light fixture that mimicked a peeking sun through the plumeria flowers.
And none of it was easy!
To begin with, the thick veinous velvety leaves with curved edges were nature’s greatest challenge to us. The green is a beautiful, dark green and achieving the right shade was crucial. Secondly when you look at plumeria tufts on a bright sunny day you see in layers.
The first layer is that of dark green leaves and flowers. The layer behind this is a translucent layer- chiefly because one is blinded by sun. To create those, we added the same patterned leaves in clear glass.
To create depth, we created the flowers on metal stem and brought them forward so when we look up the flowers and the various leaves creates a depth of field, as one would see in nature itself.
And it took us a whole year to make it right!
But was it worth it?
Heck yes! Given a choice we will do it all over again.
As we hung it up and switched the light on, we were reminded why we do what we do and this perfection of art and light is our biggest dopamine.