DesignDesign AnthologyJanuary 26, 2021

Light & Growth: Getting to Know Vezzini & Chen

DesignDesign AnthologyJanuary 26, 2021

‘East meets West’, ‘yin and yang’, ‘opposites attract’ — all of these can be used to describe London-based lighting design duo Vezzini & Chen's partnership, but ultimately it was their love of nature that brought them and their chosen materials of ceramic and glass together

Cristina Vezzini and Stan Chen in the studio

It all started with a helping hand. When Cristina Vezzini asked fellow student Stan Chen to assist with her graduate show at London's Royal College of Art, sparks flew — literally — as they discovered their shared love for nature and the combination of their respective materials, ceramics and glass. 'We found great synergy and energy in working together. We inspire each other. That’s what made us decide to set up the studio after graduation,' says Italian ceramicist Vezzini, who together with Chen established Vezzini & Chen in 2013.

But how do you find a balance between not only two seemingly different materials, but also cultures? That was the first major challenge for the designers. On the one hand, Taiwan-born Chen's glass work, with its organic shapes and soft lines, tends to exemplify the sense of simplicity synonymous with his Asian roots, and on the other, Vezzini's more tactile ceramics reflect her Italian heritage and influences. Even though they didn’t quite see eye to eye at first, they were determined to create something new while still expressing who they are as individuals. And so began the steep learning curve.

‘We like to say we design through making,' Vezzini explains, 'because we’re makers before we’re designers and so the development process will always be a continuing dialogue between us and the materials.’ For example, when working with glass, gravity plays a vital role in forming the shape of a piece, and only when the shape has been finalised can they begin working on the textures.

‘Carving is one of our favourite parts of the making process,’ Chen says. ‘A completely smooth form without texture feels naked, and hand carving is like dressing the shape up.’ But again, there’s a fine balance, this time between the textured and non-textured surfaces. ‘The empty space is as important, like in Chinese ink paintings,’ he notes.

Vezzini and Chen hit the ground running in the early years, participating in exhibitions in Milan, London and New York, and even holding a solo show in Switzerland in 2016. But their ‘big break’ came from their recent collaboration with British furniture company Heal’s, who they partnered with to launch exclusive collections of nature-inspired pendants, chandeliers and lamps in early 2019.

While they may not be as intricate as Vezzini & Chen’s other ceramic and glass work —Seed Light, for example, is inspired by the different shapes and patterns of the seeds Vezzini has collected throughout her life, while the recent Glow combines delicately engraved glass discs with a hand-carved ceramic core — the pieces, launched at the onset of the pandemic, were intended to help people see their homes not only as a place of shelter but also of sanctuary.

While nature is a common source of inspiration for designers, Vezzini and Chen's musings on nature encompass a certain zen-like quality. ‘The idea of growth and its connection to seeds and light is what most of our work is about. The seed is a symbol of life and growth — most seeds need light to grow, a bit like how our work needs light to “come alive”,’ Vezzini explains. ‘The same goes for an idea — it needs time to grow and blossom,’ Chen adds. ‘It can't be rushed. When the time comes it will flourish.’

Text / Yen Kien Hang
Image / Courtesy of Vezzini & Chen