Description:
A celebration of nature’s formations, the Tom Raffield Arame Wall Light takes inspiration from the organic shapes, movements and sequential patterns that surround us. Elemental, geometric, sequential. A surge of optical energy; a silhouette of sustainable craftsmanship. Switched on or off, the Arame produces boundless shadows that unfurl, pirouette and tumble in kaleidoscopic tessellation creating an extraordinary spectacle, whether in a commercial, residential or professional setting. When illuminated, an abundance of golden glow diffuses from the Arame’s steam bent core – casting an aura of light that’s truly transfixing.
Design Inspiration and Aesthetic:
The Arame Wall Light is a dynamic, new steam bent product that brings nature to the forefront of lighting design. Created with both light and dark in mind, the final aesthetic transforms space with a flick of a switch and captures the beauty and complexity of nature in a biomorphic, yet functional way.
Named after a complex seaweed formation, Tom Raffield’s Arame Wall Light is inspired by the symmetry and organic structures found in the natural world. Replicating intricate formations and sequential organic shapes in light form, the sculptural Arame Wall Light creates vivid shadows and diffuses a soft golden glow upon every surface it touches. Particularly effective when display in multiples, the final product ventures beyond usual lighting design and transcends the boundaries of everyday art.
Twelve individual, identical steam bent petals of sustainably sourced, FSC rated ash or walnut wood are fused together with laser cut discs and illuminated with a decorative, golden LED bulb.
Process and Sustainability:
Designed and handcrafted by the Tom Raffield team at their studios in Cornwall, England, the Arame forms part of the brand’s extensive steam bent product range.
Each light is handcrafted using the highest quality FSC certified timber sourced from sustainably managed woodlands, as with all the wood used in Tom Raffield designs. Cohesively marrying traditional steam bending techniques with modern day CAD and laser cutting technologies, the Arame Wall Light is a triumph of modern design and showcases some of the brand’s most complex, striking and iconic curves.
Every single component that makes up the Arame Wall Light is individually steam bent and hand assembled by a skilled workshop team. This hands-on approach, combined with Tom Raffield’s low energy steam bending process, produces very little wastage and consequently makes the Arame an incredibly ecologically conscious lighting design.
Furthermore, the handcrafted nature of the Arame means that no two luminaries are the same. Each Arame Wall Light bears different markings, wood grain texture and colouration meaning that every finished light is slightly different and perfectly unique.
Conclusion:
Identifiable, iconic and recognisably Tom Raffield, the Arame Wall Light is playful, impressive and complex. The Arame design focusses on beauty, integrity and a desire to create unique, high-specification products that will be cherished by their owners for years to come. Set apart by its sustainable design, dynamic silhouette and curved aesthetic, the Arame is a worthy [d]arc award winner.
