Ana Bridgewater, Founder, Abalon, specialises in porcelain sculptures that are handcrafted in a London studio using sustainably sourced materials.
Here, Ana discusses her design journey and Abalon’s new nature-inspired lighting collection.
Tell us about your design background and the history of the brand.
I have been working in porcelain since in 2004. It was love at first sight, I got butterflies the first time I sculpted my first vase and created my first lighting design inspired by the corals of the oceans.
Since then, I have worked in design and sculpture. I created the name ABALON in 2005 to reflect my desire to create sustainable and unique art and design.
What does Abalon represent as a design company?
Abalon cares about making unique porcelain lighting in a sustainable way. All processes are unique to the market and I am delighted to share with the world these beautiful designs.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your Corallo lighting collection?
My inspiration comes from the sea and coral reefs. The texture of the porcelain reflects the fragility of this environment. And the unique light that filters out from the lamp the hope of improvement.
I created my first coral pieces almost 20 years ago when I was at university, since then I have improved this technique and used it for sculpture and lighting.
What is the biggest challenge for Abalon now working in the lighting design industry?
Abalon has had a lot of success in the residential interior design space. Our focus is now on expanding our work into the commercial, retail and hospitality spaces.
How do you continue to innovative with your use of porcelain?
I created a material that it’s light and maximises the use of clay. It can hold high thermal shocks so can be used for all types of lighting. This material evolved from research I did at university. The result was a ‘coral-like’ effect that can be used on translucent or non-translucent materials like clay.
I think right now I can say that by using this technique I have reduced the amount of material needed to make the lamps by almost half and can create big lamps that are half the weight.
What has been your most successful milestone to date?
My dream since university was to create light sculptures. 2022 has been a great year as I have finally had the time to create my first range.
I received three commissions to design interior lighting in large residential homes. This has allowed me to produce lamps with different colours and to create ‘centre-pieces’.
How do you tackle issues surrounding sustainability in the interior design industry in your own studio and processes?
The lamps are inspired by the coral reefs. Sustainability sits at the heart of everything abalon designs.
Porcelain is a green material. All our processes avoid the use of harmful chemicals. We re-use off-cuts and broken pieces, and all our materials are sourced locally and ethically.
Our new studio is also sustainable; built in 2021, we collect the rainwater, reuse the sink water, and maximize energy to power the kiln.
What are you focused on for 2023?
Now that the collection is established, I will be exhibiting the lamps at a number of interior design and lighting fairs.
www.abalonuk.com | IG: @abalonuk
