Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/32301
behind thedesign Monica Khemsurov takes us in the studio with Spanish designer Nacho Carbonell as he creates his sea-creature-inspired series, Luciferase. 1 (2) One of 15 epoxy resin lamps from his new series for Galerie BSL, called Luciferase, which is Latin for the photon-producing enzyme re- sponsible for bioluminescence. (3) Carbonell at work in his former stu- dio, an abandoned church in Eind- hoven. (4) Material experimentation forms the core of Carbonell’s work; in the case of Luciferase, he played with methods of molding epoxy to achieve various organic-looking tex- tures—such as the rock-crystal-like surface seen here. 4 2 (1) The Spanish-born, Eindhoven-based de- signer Nacho Carbonell. “Even when I begin with a strong idea, I try to make it vague so I can still be surprised during the process.” —Nacho Carbonell Nacho Carbonell had set out to make a lamp several times before he finally created his LED-embedded Luciferase series for Paris’ Galerie BSL. But each time he tried, the Spaniard found his creation morphing into something else in front of his eyes, like a chair covered in hairy fil- aments, or a concrete-coated desk. That’s because Carbonell isn’t like most other designers, who meticulously plan out their creations from start to finish—he starts with a concept or a feeling, and only arrives at the final form after a long process of hands-on creation. “Even when I begin with a strong idea, I try to make it vague so I can still be sur- prised during the process,” says Carbonell, who keeps a studio inside a giant former welding facility in Eindhoven. “I do the same with every- one who works with me—I tell them what we’re doing, then later I tell 74 CULTURED them, ‘Forget about what I said yesterday, now we’re going to do some- thing else.’” That sense of spontenaeity shows in his work, which has a sculptural, gestural feel—his designs look wild and untamed. That’s especially true for the Luciferase collection, which consists of 15 oddly glowing objects made from epoxy resin that’s been mixed or coated with colored sand, metal dust, plaster and other organic, tactile materials. The series was inspired by deep-sea creatures; just as those species use light to draw potential prey near, these objects do so sim- ply in order to beckon curious viewers closer—an abstract rather than functional purpose. For Carbonell, though, that was enough. “This time the only thing I had clear is that it needed to be a lamp,” he says. “No more excuses, Nacho.”