When we last checked in with Ross Gardam, he was shortlisted for The Design Files 2019 Design Awards with his STUNNING Hemera Desk Lamp and Nebulae Chandelier Collection. Since then, his practice has grown and moved quite a lot, focusing on breaking into the American market, and releasing a raft of new products.
One of those is the Ceto collection, a product that has taken over a year to develop. Inspired by Venetian glassblowing artisans, Ross and his team designed a glass light shade following the same Murano steps, which requires glass be blown into a preliminary mould (named an ‘optic’) before the secondary cast, which gives the fitting its final shape. ‘We wanted to use that traditional technique in a more abstract way,’ explains Ross, describing the unique shadow the double mould method imprints on the final pieces. ‘Each pattern has its own distinct personality.’
Despite its universality in function, each piece of handblown glass contains subtle variations to its surface and form. And there are a lot of them, as the sculptural shade is available as a chandelier, floor lamp, wall light and pendant!
‘We wanted to create something that was truly universal – a wall light, a floor light, a pendant, a chandelier, we didn’t have anything in our range that spanned across the decorative categories.’
It’s the most versatile collection the Melbourne studio has produced to date, and we love it!
Browse the Ceto collection and Ross’s other products here.
