Sigurd Nis Schelde — Lying Lamp, Skinny Lamp, Tall Lamp
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Lying Lamp, Skinny Lamp and Tall Lamp are three lighting objects by Sigurd Nis Schelde that seek to unite notions of product and sculpture, concept and function. Each piece is constructed using a mix of industrial and craft processes – initial forms in oiled clay are digitised to allow electronic components to be fitted and for each sculptural element to be expertly combined to create final functional forms cast in repurposed pewter, alongside supportive elements in aluminium and steel. While initial visual references touch on classical architectural motifs such as arches and columns, Schelde’s use of illumination within the works was influenced by the saturated lighting of building sites and architectural spaces still under construction – offering new patterns for lighting rarely utilised within interior elements. Through shape and illumination, each piece becomes a space within a space – blurring the lines between functional form and sculptural element.
PROJECT QUOTE:
“The pewter is heavy and cold and the light is weightless and warming. Combined they seem to mix. The reflections and light play make it seem like the metal itself is emitting or embodies the light.”
Material and dimensions:
Lying Lamp.
Pewter, Aluminium, Steel, LED.
15 x 9.5 x 21.5cm.
Skinny Lamp.
Pewter, Aluminium, Steel, LED.
23 x 15.5 x 20.5cm.
Tall Lamp.
Pewter, Aluminium, Steel, LED.
20 x 20 x 210cm.
Year:
2026
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
The three lighting objects by Sigurd Nis Shelde are a continuation of the designers explorations into crafting forms in cast pewter. While earlier works explored monolithic sculptural shapes alongside refined lighting elements, these pieces combine and build upon previous iterations to create lighting designs that can be viewed as miniature architectural worlds within their larger environments. Aesthetically influenced by industrial and electronic designs from the 1980’s to the early 2000’s, their abstract shapes communicate functional intricacies and complexity, abandoning the minimalist aesthetic leanings of contemporary lighting design whilst retaining functionality and form factors associated with floor and table lamps. Each piece balances industrial approaches to design with Schelde’s artisan workflow; the designers technical approach allowing for his adventurous and abstract form-giving to retain their functional protagonist. While technical in execution, Schelde’s creations champions a tacit relationship towards each object, with his hand-made forms reflecting a practice that moves beyond the purely functional.
DESIGNER BIO:
Sigurd Nis Schelde.
Designer, 1993.
Working between the communal workshop of Godsbanen and an abandoned motorcycle shop within the centre of Aarhus, designer Sigurd Nis Schelde utilises the diversity of his working environments to produce lighting, furniture and objects that are simultaneously complex and refined. The driving focus within his practice is that of exploration – both within manufacturing and materiality, but also through a database of influences, from contemporary culture to industrial processes and forms of craft. Projects intertwine artistic expression with functional typologies through a deliberate eclecticism of influences and themes; Schelde boiling down seemingly incompatible ingredients to form a single object or body of work. This confluence of ideas and impressions allows Schelde to continue to push his practice in new and unexpected directions, gaining new skills whilst resulting in his own contemporary take on archetypal design silhouettes.
EDUCATION:
2022: BA, Public / Private, Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
EXHIBITIONS:
2026: Group Exhibition, Uppercut Space, Collectible Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
2026: Group Exhibition, Soft Metal, Ragnocose, Milan, Italy.
2025: Group Exhibition, Isola Space, Dubai, UAE.
2025: Duo Exhibition with Alexander Kirkeby, Uppercut Space, Collectible Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
2025: Group Exhibition, Salone Del Mobile, Milan, Italy.
2025: Group Exhibition, Good Selection, Vaust Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
2025: Group Exhibition, Milestones, Paris, France.
2025: Group Exhibition, Against Nature, Bureau of Innovation, Pad/Frieze London, London, UK.
2025: Group Exhibition, Nocturne, Bureau of Innovation, Downtown Design, Dubai, UAE.
2025: Group Exhibition, Nomad, Bureau of Innovation, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2024: Group Exhibition, Tutto Passa, Uppercut Space, Antwerp, Belgium.
2024: Group Exhibition, Domestic Pleasures, Tableu, 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2023: Group Exhibition, You Can Be Anything, Tableu, Collectible, Bruxelles, Belgium.
2023: Group Exhibition, FUNCT FEAST IMMORALE. Tableu, Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy.
COMMISSIONS:
2024: MMS, Eéra.
2023: Disk, Kernemilk.
INSTAGRAM: