Swirl
YEAR 2022
MATERIALS Wood-stained Birchwood, Wood glue, Paperclip
SKILLS 3D CAD Modeling, Laser cutting, Sketching, Sculpture
swirl
A reliquary or candle holder inspired by meditative, self-soothing movement. One can activate the piece in many different ways to hold a tea-light or stick of incense. This product is original with patent pending.
inspiration
I was tasked with creating a reliquary, a sacred object to express my inner world. I chose to focus this project on meditative movement and light.
I found inspiration from the Boston MBTA Orange Line station at Roxbury Crossing. Renovated by Kallmann McKinnell & Wood in 1987, the row of arches, especially the empty space and proximity of them all together, create a beautiful space for light to come in. I mimicked this pattern in my design using concentric circles.
A queer taiwanese/american performance artist jas lin (they/them/ta) also inspired me. Their un-superficial movement style teaches me to embrace imperfection and motion. I took this theme of movement into my reliquary by having the bottom be round so the object rocks back and forth, like I often do without planning it.
iteration
In earlier iterations, the form included a cone-like top. After testing, I realized the cone-top would not work. The final spiral stair-case like base and top came from improvising with excess materials.
final product
I featured this on my artist account and got an overwhelming, positive response from friends and strangers who wanted to purchase one! I decided to keep the project personal.