Maarten’sfirst encounter with full-size handmade mouth-blown glass panels was during hisfirst studio visit to Atelier Mestdagh, one of the most renowned glass studios’in Belgium, with whom he developed this project. He immediately fell in lovewith their skilled craftsmanship and the depth of the colors, textures, airbubbles, patterns and drawings inherent to the multi-colored sheets.

It is rare to see this type ofglass in big surfaces, as stained-glass studios tend to cut it up into hundredsof small pieces to reassemble it in multicolored stained-glass windows orTiffany-like lamps. That is why Maarten decided to do the opposite, by creatinga project that honors this material and lets it speak for itself. A floorlight, man-sized and with generous proportions, felt most suitable for thispurpose, so one can fully feel the material and its presence. A recognizableyet iconic shape was chosen, to create an object that everyone can relate to.

The glass panels areused in large color blocks, and in consecutive order, to highlight thebeautiful patterns, drawings and textures inherent in the material. Traditionallead work is used to frame the glass, and an inner steel structure creates astrong support.

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