A Retrospective

Life moves fast until you slow it down, which we are doing this month as the year draws to a close. Despite long bouts of lockdown, we were not victims of inertia, producing a timeline of works fit for a retrospective.

January

The new year eclipsed with much anticipation as Ora made her way to the National Gallery of Victoria as part of the 2020 Triennial. Beaming amongst works from around the world, our interactive eclipse - ORA, found a new home amongst its contemporary counterparts. 

Meanwhile, on the West coast, the Como Hotel in Perth received their ode to art deco with a chandelier tied with two orbits of hand patina brass. Hundreds of ribbed acrylic sheets give texture to the luminaire like folds of a skirt. 

February 

Our samba between commercial and residential projects gained momentum as the month lapsed. One project of note was Briq, a high-end multi-residential development in Caulfield, where a custom made ‘HOOP’ pendant tailored to suit the two-story ceiling of its grand foyer. Passed the intertwined golden circles of light, residents and their guests are greeted by custom-designed and fabricated number plaques with a timeless curved type fit for the luxe dwellings. 

March

With installs front of mind, we set a new boundary in the studio for art and light with 'LUMINISM'. We exhibited ‘Sham-Mayim / Horizon No. 01’ - the first work of its kind at Melbourne Design Week, the city’s hottest occasion for March. By evoking meditative stillness, 'Sham-Mayim' invites the participant to experience an ocean horizon through coloured light. Waves of water morph into waves of colour under ever-changing spectral skies. Separated from the viewer, a once static image set stillness in motion through a synergistic immersion in transparent colour.

One of our favoured pieces that connect many hands in the community, ‘COMET’, fell into residences between visits to talks and galleries this month.

April

Winter seeped into the days and nights, gradually cooling the leaves off our leafy lined streets here in St Kilda. The Local Project covered A Decade of Design, marking ten years of conceptualising, making and documenting bespoke products worldwide.

In celebration, Chuck Mayfield visioned an epic masterpiece on the studio’s facade and added our ‘SUPERNOVA’, signalling the partnership between life and light.

May

Come what May, it’s always about the process for us, the concept informs the making, and the making informs the lifespan of a product. We shared these details in a deep dive into the processes of woodturning, metal spinning and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) during Australian Made Week. 

By this time, the lockdowns were wearing us thin as interludes of freedom came and went, but we forfeited the doom and gloom as celebrations were in order. 

June

The brilliant Christian clocked three years in the studio! We landed this gem when he was a student, studying full time and working with us part-time. He is deeply valued and respected, whose technical capacity, dedication and skills are in an equal match by his human characteristics. 

Orders abound for The Cannon Vase; customisable by design, allowing the user to set its firing line low or high, but our ammunition was wintry foliage and weights of spherical proportions.

July

The team was in full flex with the addition of the talented Lily this month. We still haven’t quite aligned on her early morning winter dips in the bay, although her energy suggests they’re good for the spirit and mind. With a broad range of skills, while studying full time, we were grateful to add her to the team alongside Christian, Tony, Joey and yours truly.

In July, a custom design piece was under construction; the beloved Wisteria was getting prepared for its new home in Sydney. Suspended from an 8-metre high ceiling, Wisteria is a contemporary take on the traditional chandelier. Inspired by the magnificent Wisteria vine in full bloom, hundreds of smooth and faceted glass spheres are encased in glass flutes that are suspended from tiered LED rings.

August

Whilst homebound, wintry and cosy, much of Australia, almost 20 million of us, tuned into the Olympic/Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Inspired by the courage and abilities of these sportspeople, we had our take on the metals of gold, silver and bronze. It was a timely toast to the fabrics and pieces we work with and celebrate every day in the studio.

September

The Earth had shifted in its cyclical beauty, budding new blooms and the desire to share our practice of providing a sustainable life from concept to end for every product. In that month's blog post, The Lifecycle of a Light, we explored the materials, finishing techniques and parts of ILANEL luminaires. Specifically, we looked at Rain and Comet - favourites for installs and moves interstate for easy assembly and movability.

October

Coloured by the processes and flowers in the neighbourhood, we saw custom Ora lights head out into homes for their effects of ambient light and customisation. We spoke more about the connection we draw, as humans, from colour and looked at how the formula of good design and technology can forge a sanctuary, a real metaverse, if you will. 

Meanwhile, we were in a social slumber with another lockdown, working in our studio like mysterious fairies might, too.

November

An unveiling of these times spent with tools and many hands-on the Richlands Lions Club where ‘LIONS MANE’ now welcomes members and visitors alike. The team of specialists at Cayas Architects commissioned us to design and fabricate four bespoke pieces that speak to the club’s reverence and prestige whilst being fun and intriguing. 

December

Last but not least, the Colour Society Australia invited me to present my journey from practising architecture through my academic research at RMIT to my current creative and artistic expression. It was an honour coupled with great pleasure to share my emotive exploration of colour and light.

What's to come...

Now the festive season fast approaches with many, I’m sure, feeling like a big getaway is in order. My plans to see family for the first time since... well, you know, are coming around the bend with great anticipation. For this reason, the practice will close for a short time, and we will be reinspired for a new year, with a fresh touch of the world out there in my pocket.

I am immensely proud of what the ILANEL team has achieved in 2021, working to keep this business open and operating through once again the longest lock-down in the world, along with a 14-day self-quarantine. I thought 2020 was challenging until 2021 proved me wrong. It’s astounding what we managed to achieve this year.

Christian, Tony, Lily, and Joey - have all played an integral part in the business’ success and survival.
I thank each of them for their positive attitude, hard work and dedication, throughout what has been another extraordinarily unusual year.

A special Thankyou to our clients, suppliers and fabricators! It is you that let us light life.

All my love,

ilan