Blown is Samuel Wilkinson’s first lamp for &tradition. A mouth-blown pendant with a quilted pattern, it comes in two versions: a translucent variant with a silver lustre and a sandblasted white one.
The pendant is fitted with a powder-coated cast metal suspension. The pendant was conceived as an exploration of the reflections, distortions, and refractions of a light source when surrounded by patterned glass. Wilkinson explains the wide range of inspirations he looked to when developing Blown: “Like with any project, you start with an idea, and then you start looking at the world through a sort of filter. I’ve looked at antique ceramics, old glass pieces, lenses from very old lamps, lighthouses, even a mirrored bottle, just to see the way the light comes off it.” Wilkinson even sought inspiration in seeds and berries - particularly raspberries - for the quilted texture of the glass. Blown makes a statement as a standalone item, but works equally as well in clusters or in succession. The two versions cater to a range of interiors, with the sandblasted variant providing a subtle, sophisticated glow, while the translucent version transforms the space it inhabits with the intricate textures and patterning.
Samuel Wilkinson
A graduate from Ravensboure College of Art & Design, the London-based de- signer created design consultancy projects for British Airways, Audi, LG, Samsung and Virgin Airways before moving onto furniture and industrial design. Boasting pieces in permanent collections at MoMA, the Cooper-Hewitt and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Wilkinson is on a quest to add a fresh dynamic approach to either form or function. For “Blown”, he researched glass from lighthouses to mirrored bottles and found inspiration from raspberries, which translated into the quilted tex- ture of the glass.
Blown is a mouth-blown pendant lamp with a quilted pattern. The texture is rendered using a 3D CAD to model the structure of the metal mould used to imprint the diamond shapes onto the glass. Once shaped in a mould, the glass is inflated by mouth-blowing.“It’s an exquisite example of bridging craftsman- ship with digital technology,” adds Martin Kornbek Hansen.” An approach we value at &tradition.The result is an exploration of reflections, distortions and refractions of light which is nothing less than amazing.”
The Hoof Lounge Tables represent a creative process conceived in reverse. The idea started with the feet, which are sharpened at the ends akin to a horse’s hoof being trimmed before it is shod. The result is a striking visual
d e t a i l . T h e p r o d u c t i o n p r o c e s s w a s a l s o a c h i e v e d i n r e v e r s e . “ W i t h “ H o o f ”, t h e tables are painted first and then trimmed back to reveal the natural grain
of wood,” explains Martin Kornbek Hansen. “A process of re-thinking how we design and manufacture products, which is close to our hearts at &tradition.”
Craft meets art. Function meets form. Material meets potential.