Plants Exotica & Voyage Chandelier

In 2013, I was invited to create artwork as part of Sotherby’s 2013 exhibition, Modern Makers at Chatsworth House which included visiting the historic estate for inspiration. During this visit, I was struck by the powerful historical relationship between explorers and patrons, and their curiosity about exotic plants, animals, rocks, shells, and art, particularly as someone born and grew up outside the UK in Japan. Whilst exploring the house’s historical interiors and garden collections, I was captivated by the chandeliers and the library’s botanical books from the 17th to 19th centuries. They inspired me to design a modern chandelier featuring layers of exotic plants from these books.

My next chandelier was made in the summer of 2020, during lockdown. For three months, we forged components, but with art fairs postponed, I had to pause my ongoing series, leaving many pieces unused. This led to the creation of the Floating Chandelier: Voyage. My goal was to modernise the lighting mechanism in my chandeliers with an LED system and create a piece symbolising land suspended in the air, revealing the underground beneath. Inspiration came from a garden hanging basket where plants had formed a self-sustaining colony over 12 years. The chandelier was finally shown at PAD London 2023 with Adrian Sassoon Gallery which was a wonderful feeling after the long making process.