A standout from this year’s Milan Design Week, Moulds—from designers Jan Plechá? and Henry Wielgus—is a minimalist take on pendant lights. Light fixtures tend to overshadow the glassmaking involved in their production, but Moulds center-stages its artisanal, oak-mold glassblowing. Each piece in the series descends abruptly into the wooden mold, where the fixture’s energy figuratively and literally resides, ending with a hollow, glass bulb that reflects an intention of serenity within simplicity. The design holds great focus to the dichotomous harmony of strength and delicacy. The wood forms are secured by iron, but the lights are suspended by thin wires. The starkest duality of the series is between pristine crystal and unrefined wood, indicating a deliberateness about showcasing contrast between origin and product.
Jan and Henry’s Moulds runs the connection between tradition and craftsmanship. Composed to relay depth of emotion with the smallest of details, the series draws much of its impact from originality.
Photo by Martin Chum
