Palefire creates sculptural lighting using recycled paper pulp

Domestic design and homeware are more often than not disassociated from fine art, with artistic sensibilities and exploration adulterated with pragmatism and the trite minimalism. Palefire, a London-based design studio, challenges this prevalent aesthetic with its oeuvre of decorative homeware designs. For their debut, the design studio founded by multidisciplinary creative Rowena Morgan-Cox unveils the U/V collection, an ensemble of sculptural lighting designs achieved through a meticulously developed modular system. At the heart of this lighting collection are five shapes – based on the U and V forms that give the collection its name – that are modelled from recycled paper pulp. By pairing and stacking these shapes in different formations, the collection opens up endless design possibilities for the users. Standing strong on the pillars of sustainable design, the lamps put recycled products in the limelight, reduce waste and offer intriguing opportunities for reuse through a modular design.

Palefire sources its name from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, and in turn, from Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens; The moon’s an arrant thief, / And her pale fire she snatches from the sun’. Though Nabokov’s exact meaning is contested, the Shakespeare quote is extensively believed to be an emblem of creativity itself. “The image is quietly powerful and irresistibly poetic,” asserts Rowena. “I hope our products can live up to the whimsy and magic of this simple phrase,” she adds.

U/V encompasses eight decorative light designs, each a modular derivative of the five moulded, recycled paper-pulp forms. The smallest cone, for instance, is simultaneously used as the shade of the Diabolo lights or the ceiling rose for the pendant lights. The studio’s most ambitious design yet, the Totem floor lamp, is made up of fourteen stacked parts and is inspired by the work of Constantin Brancusi. Lightweight, sturdy, and uniquely textured, each composition is produced in small batches at a workshop in Barcelona, then assembled and donned in vibrant colours, patterns and bespoke finishes at the studio using non-toxic, natural, low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint powered by renewable energy sources. “The hand-painted surface reduces waste and allows for restoration to extend the life of our lamp designs,” shares Rowena.

The studio’s unwaveringly maximalist language draws on the essence and romance of historical art and design moments like Art Nouveau, the Omega Workshops, Abstract Expressionism, and mid-century Murano glass-making. The whimsical and flamboyant aesthetic is unequivocally grounded in responsible, ethical practices which look to a sustainable future. Palefire works towards blurring some of the historical distinctions and assumed differences between domestic design and fine art, introducing an artistic sensibility to design for home interiors.

Rowena Morgan-Cox’s peculiar personal taste builds on her wide-ranging interests, interweaving the wild aesthetic of the Arts & Crafts movement with the diminished forms of European modernism . She spent almost a decade honing her eye as a specialist dealer in European sculpture, painting and decorative art. The design practices of Palefire make obvious their commitment to the environment. The studio seeks to offer collections that embody sustainable design and production centred on craftsmanship.