In an age of fleeting digital connections, SAW.Earth invites us to rediscover a profound relationship with the tangible world through its captivating new exhibition, “See Earth.” Unveiled this December at DUDD HAUS in Philadelphia, this collection of handmade paper lamps and found assemblages marks the first solo lighting and sculptural exhibition by SAW.Earth founder and designer, Drew Seskunas.
Illuminating Ancient Bonds
The art of the paper lamp is a timeless craft, where skilled hands transform one of humanity’s most ancient materials into luminous diffusers. Seskunas masterfully harnesses paper’s unique transparencies, allowing light to play across its planes in myriad ways. The inspiration for “See Earth” stems from author Louise Erdrich’s poignant short story, “The Stone,” which explores a girl’s lifelong, quiet companionship with a piece of basalt.
This narrative resonates deeply with Seskunas’s philosophy: our built environment is more than just backdrop; it’s a collection of silent companions. Just as Erdrich’s protagonist finds solace and permanence in a simple stone, Seskunas’s works suggest a similar, evolving relationship. These aren’t mere ornaments, but objects that sit with us, subtly shifting as we do, shaped not by sentimentality, but by the quiet accumulation of time, proximity, and presence.
Crafting Connection: Material Honesty and Restraint
The “See Earth” collection comprises 13 exquisite paper lamps and three compelling found wood and stone assemblages. Each piece is a testament to the slow progression of life, reflecting the enduring presence of our oldest natural neighbors. Seskunas navigates the delicate tension between his artistic vision and the inherent limitations of his materials, allowing the wood, stone, and paper to speak their own language.
The lamps feature sturdy cedar bases supporting shades crafted from handmade mulberry bark paper. These shades are uniquely pressed with organic inclusions such as hemp, delicate flowers, or bodhi leaves, each suspended fiber quietly recording a specific place and time. This intricate detail grounds the cosmic in the tactile, inviting us to recognize the universal forces at play in the very materials beneath our feet – a recognition often lost in the familiarity of our daily lives.
A Spectrum of Light
The collection offers a diverse array of forms, including two elegant standing lamps, five versatile table lamps, two striking pendant lamps, and a series of evocative sconces. A magnificent curved screen, measuring 73” × 12” × 48”, further expands the collection’s sculptural presence. Each lamp is equipped with a soft LED and a cloth cord dimmer switch, ensuring a warm, diffuse glow that beautifully animates the paper’s surface, highlighting its natural grain, subtle shadows, and the gentle irregularities that celebrate the handmade process.
This thoughtful illumination creates an unadorned yet honest connection between self and space, centering our relationship with the built environment in a profoundly gentle way.
From Architecture to Illumination
Drew Seskunas, working from his Brooklyn studio, brings a rich background to his current practice. Early in his career, he honed his skills as an architect in New York and Berlin. His subsequent pivot towards furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects is a natural evolution, reflecting a consistent dedication to material honesty and restraint. His forms reveal themselves slowly, hiding nothing, and make sense simply by their inherent existence.
In “See Earth,” light transcends its functional purpose, becoming a powerful invitation to look closer, to observe the beauty and meaning that patiently waits to be seen in the world around us. To explore the full “See Earth” collection and learn more about SAW.Earth, visit saw.earth. Photography for the exhibition is by Dan McMahon.
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