Bomma Stretches The Limits Of Glassmaking With These 7 New Lighting Collections

Six designers, seven stunning collections. Czech glassmaking company Bomma stretches the limits of lighting design by introducing an ultra-hip lighting series inspired by bondage, Tim Burton’s movie characters, and soap bubbles.

Bomma recently unveiled its newest series of lighting collections, including Phenomena by the renowned DECHEM studio, Lantern by Jan Plecháč & Henry Wielgus, Soap by Ota Svoboda, Ignis by Eduard Herrmann, and Tied-Up Romance by Kateřina Handlová, an up-and-coming glassmaker who’s wowing the world with her creations.

TIED-UP ROMANCE collection designed by Kateřina Handlová

The collection entitled Phenomena (which is also the Greek word for ‘appearance’) was inspired by Plato’s philosophy of eternal and perfect forms, or what he called “the absolute.” According to its official press release: “This [idea] seems very fitting for a collection made in a material that is so difficult yet versatile, so strong yet fragile as glass.” The collection features simples shapes, such the triangle, oval, and rectangle, which perhaps harken back to Plato’s love of form and mathematics.

Phenomena Collection designed by DECHEM studio

Kateřina Handlová’s two collections, Tied-Up Romance and Shibari, explore the contradictions of fragility and security, both in use of materials and symbolism. The collections feature black binding and leather rope, which juxtaposed with the delicate crystal, gives the designs an air of modern, romantic danger.

Tied-Up Romance designed by Kateřina Handlová

Ota Svoboda’s Soap collection, recently unveiled at Maison et Objet, uses various levels of transparency and differing shapes, all inspired by soap bubbles, to produce a distinctly soft, industrial look. Each piece is hand-blown and one of a kind. Similarly unique, but incredibly bold, Olgoj Chorchoj’s Tim collection was originally “created to house Tim Burton’s movie characters in his Prague exhibition.”

The large-scale dimensions of this collection are incredibly difficult to achieve in glasswork, and the collection was even awarded the RedDot award in 2016 after its immediate success at Salone del Mobile 2015.

Another favorite in the series is the Lantern collection by Jan Plecháč & Henry Wielgus – an ephemeral nod to both traditional and contemporary design that subtly blends the industrial with rustic-chic.
The collections were photographed by Czech photographer Salim Issa inside Berlin’s Czech Embassy, a powerful example of the Czechoslovak brutalist architectural style of the 1960s and 1970s and a perfect temporary showcase room for these modern, cutting-edge designs.

About the author

Amber C. Snider

Home & Design Editor

Amber was born in Washington, D.C. and relocated to NYC in 2007. She received an M.A. degree in Liberal Studies: Women's Studies, Gender, and Sexuality from CUNY's Graduate Center and University, and an honors B.A. in English from The City College of New York. Before coming to Culture Trip, she was the executive editor for Metropolitan Magazine, a boutique luxury lifestyle and arts publication, as well as the editor for ResidencyNY Magazine. In 2015, she also started her own company, ACS Media Services, and has over 8+ years experience as a writer/editor in the NYC area. As one of the original employees in Culture Trip’s New York City office, Amber focuses on three verticals: Design, Architecture, and Home and Interiors, exploring how creativity and design influences our contemporary social landscape. She lives in Brooklyn with her typewriter.