To use a material against its typical associations is a sure sign of genius: to create something light out of concrete, for example; or to create something delicate out of iron; or something ponderous out of lace. The idea is to upset expectations, to make people see reality anew, to surprise. I see this philosophy working to great effect in White Flax by Jeremy Cole. A pendant lamp handcrafted from bone china ceramic pieces, White Flax seems to be made of feathers—in fact, the piece looks like it might just fly away in a gentle breeze.

White Flax pendant lamp. Designed and manufactured by Jeremy Cole.

Geometric Bone China Ceramic Lamp

In fact, the suspension lamp is constructed of a material we normally associate with weight—ceramic. Handcrafted in Jeremy Cole’s New Zealand studio, White Flax uses 350 ceramic leaves, which get attached to a stainless steel frame via patent alloy/silicon fixings. With a central glass diffuser lighting up the geometrically arranged bone china leaves, White Flax looks like a magnificent sun burning brightly in the sky or like a fantastic sea urchin glowing phosphorescently under the sea.

White Flax comes with a ceiling rose and a stainless steel wire suspension system. The lamp is available in various sizes, so it works in spaces large and small: 53 inches x 51-inch diameter, 37 inches x 35-inch diameter, 26 inches x 51-inch diameter, and 18 inches x 35-inch diameter (approximate measurements, converted from mm). In any size, White Flax encapsulates Jeremy Cole’s “simple yet opulent style.”

About the Designer: Jeremy Cole is a ceramicist who creates unique lighting designs by hand in his New Zealand studio. He has been pushing the boundaries of ceramics as a material since 2005, always “exploring the relationship between flora and art.” Jeremy Cole produces all his work in-house with a small team of skilled artisans, wanting to achieve “nothing more and nothing less” than beauty, elegance, and fine craftsmanship.