Design Studio Hwang Bishop Introduces a Sculptural Lighting Series

With Bloom, Rhode Island–based design studio Hwang Bishop—founded by ceramicist Felicia Hwang—releases a sculptural 16-piece collection that ranges from floral ceramic sconces to pendants, table lamps, and a one-of-a-kind tiered chandelier. All of the pieces are crafted, bisque-fired, glazed, and then kiln-fired in Warren, Rhode Island, and convey subtle asymmetries that nod to their maker.

Hwang’s travels inspired the organic architecture of the new collection. “I was captivated by the adaptive nature of the desert flora during my travels in Namibia and the heart of this collection is the Bloom form itself,” she tells Surface. “The budding form captures the moment its petals are about to unfurl, the transformative moment of becoming. That is where I find the magic.”

In addition to the sculptural shapes, Hwang also introduced a matte glaze palette with this collection, which she’s also made available across the studio’s entire portfolio. Comprised of meadow moss, arctic sky, midnight, crowberry, lava glow, golden hour, glacial blue, ash, and kaffi, these hues mark an aesthetic shift away from the saturated high-gloss glazes that defined her earlier pieces.

“It’s been a liberating artistic and personal experience to be able to open up my work in another direction,” she says. “I love the organic subtlety of the glaze, the way the surface absorbs rather than reflects light. I don’t think I was ready to make the leap until I started developing this collection. This is the start of listening to my instincts and having my work reflect where I am in my life.”