Yet, for Gammas, this emotional, artistic dimension of light is constantly balanced by a structural rigour which he attributes to his architectural background, as an anchor that instils a sense of structure, rhythm, repetition and sculpture into his objects to ensure they never lose their functional integrity. “If you strip down architecture and interiors, you are ultimately only left with the structure and lighting,” he says, “and by playing with effects and contrasts, light itself can almost become architectural.”
Photo: Eduard Bugaev
Photo: Eduard Bugaev
Photo: Eduard Bugaev
In his latest lighting work, a branching fixture called Sprout, which debuted alongside the opening of his Dubai gallery, this interplay between strict architectural discipline and artistic experimentation becomes entirely physical. Moving away from his usual metalwork, Gammas chose to explore ceramics as a “living, unpredictable material”. The piece (part of a working series) is inspired by the heavy, vertical geometry of a mature agave flower stalk, for which he has stacked a series of ceramic forms with a totemic silhouette that interact with the surrounding accumulated objects with a playful quality. For Gammas, seeing this dialogue is the real experiment of the space. “It all serves as a statement of who I am as a collector, designer and admirer of design,” he reflects. “Every item has more than meets the eye, to keep one engaged enough to find.” @gallerygradient, @nader_gammas