For Collection 11, Ark Kollekt presents two lamps by architectural designer Freddy Tuppen, each formed from a single continuous thread. Handmade in his London studio, each piece begins with a rigid grid of overlapping joints, a foundation over which hundreds of metres of string are woven—over, around, and through—becoming an exploded knot.
Rooted in the idea of weaving as an early form of architecture, Tuppen’s Aluminium and Sapele lamps reimagine the structure of a scale model—string defining form, light emanating like a hearth.
The pattern of applying string to a metal or wood frame sets up a system that allows for a loose, intuitive approach to making, where the shape is figured out through the act of weaving. Each piece is a form of functional sculpture, exploded machines that reveal their insides, for which the string is the warp and the light is the weft.
