Lighting Sculptures that Narrates Cosmic Wonders with Sculpted Branches

FDT Bureau

Artist Jerome Pereira’s innovative creations emerge from an intimate engagement with nature, as he meticulously crafts lighting sculptures from branches sourced from the lush forests enveloping his studio in the sun-kissed landscapes of southern France. In a captivating debut solo exhibition titled Celestial Attraction, presented by the esteemed design gallery Philia during the prestigious Milan Design Week, Pereira unveiled a mesmerizing collection comprising nine meticulously crafted pieces. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).

Central to Pereira’s artistic narrative are the captivating mobiles, where ethereal blown-glass lamps delicately dangle from the branches, suspended from the ceiling in a balletic harmony. Each piece is a testament to Pereira's meticulous craftsmanship, with the branches ingeniously fashioned into tripods to cradle the hanging pendants, achieving a delicate equilibrium that defies gravity. Pereira’s artistic process is imbued with a profound sense of balance and precision, as he meticulously arranges the glass elements in perfect harmony with counterweights, ensuring each creation achieves a state of sublime equilibrium.

Each piece embodies a synthesis of art and science. Drawing inspiration from the cosmic tapestry, Pereira’s designs pay homage to scientific luminaries such as Archimedes, Albert Einstein and Max Planck, infusing his creations with a palpable sense of wonder and intellectual depth. SI-02, christened after an asteroid, marries an ash branch adorned with a cluster of smooth, hollow forms with a glass pendant, evoking the primordial allure of meteorites and comets believed to have seeded life on Earth.

The Icarus lamps soar with wing-shaped oak branches cradling irregular glass globes, while If features pebble-shaped wooden and glass forms adorned with antler-like branches, echoing the harmony of nature’s design. Pereira’s artistic vision extends beyond his solo endeavors, as he collaborates with his partner, French textile artist Sylvia Eustache Rools, under the moniker AWARE. Rools’ textile works, presented alongside Pereira’s sculptures in the Celestial Attraction exhibition, add another layer of texture and depth to their artistic dialogue, enriching the sensory experience for viewers immersed in their captivating universe.

Image credit: Studio Brinth