Although our techniques have many similarities with ‘papier-méché’, it is nevertheless a very different process. One of the differences is that we do not make a mash of paper and glue, but use the ingredients separately.
The basic principals of our unique technique are fairly simple; gluing lots of thin layers of paper over each other around the moulds. Moulds are a very ancient element of fabrication used for papier-méché, but it is seldom used as we do. Our secret of our new techniques lie in the way we use the mould; inside out. This also requires a new and patented technique to create the moulds, which I developed and perfected over years.
Thanks to the combination of our inventions, we are able to get some amazing effects and create these great lamp designs. Our lampshades are made in one piece; there are no treads. After many different steps of drying and pressing the material, and more steps of drying and pressing… we have a surprising strong carton work of art in one single piece. The designs are not only very beautiful, but also strong.
Once the manual creation process is finished, the fresh and wet piece of art is dried in a giant dryer. They become solid and because the air in the moulds will expand from the heat, while the shade will shrink from the drying process, this results in opposite pressure on the pieces. The layers of paper are pressed together and it all becomes one solid, thick and very strong piece.
As a finishing touch we give the lampshades a layer of epoxy, which is a good example of my consistent choice for quality over price. Epoxy is the improved version of polyester. Epoxy is 10 times more expensive then polyester. But it dries extremely hard, it has a compression strength that is twice the strength of concrete and stays perfectly transparent, while polyester tends to turn yellowish after some time and is not always perfectly solid. Additionally, before applying the epoxy we mix it with an UV filter to protect the colors from direct sun light. The epoxy layer is also applied by hand to ensure the perfect finishing touch.
The epoxy makes the lampshades really strong, but that is not only the reason why we use it. Once the paper design is finished, it still has a rough surface and it’s rather difficult to remove dust from it without leaving traces, especially with a wet towel. Dust would be pushed in the material rather than removed from it. By using the epoxy layer, the pieces become water resistant and they can be safely cleaned with a wet cloth to preserve them for many generations to come. Furthermore, epoxy is an excellent electrical insulator and does not melt when heated. To prevent that the piece would look like cheap plastic, we use the epoxy as a solvent. It doesn’t just cover the piece, but it infringes the material deeply. Altogether we create very strong and safe lampshades in one single piece, despite their unique and extra-ordinary shapes.
Now that I mentioned the strength of the pieces, let me explain with a little anecdote, in my workshop in Antwerp, Belgium the ceiling was about 4m high, I used to hang the pieces with a little hook on a wire about 3m high. One day when I was on the other side of the workplace the wire come loose and all the pieces fall down. This was the wire with my exclusive pieces. “Ooh my Buddha” … I thought that all my exclusive pieces would be broken, but to my own surprise, there was only 1 piece a little bit damage. The others one’s you could never tell that they just dropped from 3m high. My light sculptures are a lot stronger then you might give them credit for.
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