Luminescent Duality: In Conversation with Ross Gardam at Milan Design Week
In the heart of the Brera Design District – a must-visit destination on the Milan Design Week trail – we were delighted to discover an immersive exhibition by Melbourne-based contemporary designer Ross Gardam titled Luminescent Duality. Featuring a series of sculptural glass pendant, wall, and table lighting from Ross Gardam studio’s new collections, the showcase redefined perceptions of light through an exploration of form, contrast, and materiality. A contemplative sanctuary amidst Brera’s bustling streetscape, Luminescent Duality inspired a reflection on the potential of light to evoke the contrasts and harmonies of the world around us.
It was a pleasure to have a chat with Ross at the exhibition to discover more about his studio’s latest creations, and the experience of presenting his work at Milan Design Week 2025.
This isn’t Ross Gardam studio’s first experience exhibiting at Milan Design Week, is it?
We first showed here in 2023 with our exhibition called Transcendence at a different gallery space in Brera. Similar to our show this year, we presented a series of new pieces showcasing glass as a key material used in three different ways: mouth-blown glass, cast crystal glass and Borosilicate. This year we’ve developed one of the collections we presented in 2023, but the rest of the designs are all new work. We’re delighted to be presenting some of them outside Australia for the first time.
Can you explain a bit about the forms, materials, and concepts we see in the new product collections presented here in Luminescent Duality?
This year we’re presenting two new glass-based collections: AERIS and SOLACE. The SOLACE designs follow a very organic geometric design; it’s essentially two circles that are rotated and separated to create the form. We describe it as being like a glass tear that transforms with movement. The design also showcases innovations in traditional glassblowing techniques, giving each light a uniquely textured effect. The design for the SOLACE pendants and table lamps reflects my personal love of geometry.
The AERIS collection is inspired by the beauty of clouds; these chandeliers give the impression of being weightless objects suspended in the air. Each mouth-blown glass ‘cloud’ is defined by a central brass structural element that creates a sense of contrast between the design’s architectural and organic form. AERIS takes on many different personalities, and the object diffuses light in a soft glow to create a very distinct ambience in a space.
In your design process for these collections, what was your approach to achieving a balance between the functionality of the object and its aesthetic or sculptural value?
Some of the pieces follow a very sculptural form like the SOLACE desk lamps and pendants, for example. Their shape evolved quite intuitively and organically in the design process, and they are perhaps more likely to fulfil a particular aesthetic role as a feature in a space. Other pieces like the VOLANT wall light have a more modular design, so their functionality in a home environment or living space is apparent.
Can you give us some insights into the production process behind one of these new glass-based creations?
A piece like the AERIS chandelier features mouth-blown glass created via a two-mould process. The glass is blown and gathered, and then it’s blown into an optic mould that we created to achieve these organic patterns and textures on the surface. Once it is pressed into the optic mould it takes on an organic form, and then we blow it into a timber mould. The glass has a memory from the first mould to the second, and during this process the ripples form inside the glass, giving the object its unique texture and ‘shimmer’ when it’s illuminated. The production process of blowing the glass isn’t overly time-consuming, but it is an intricate one that requires careful planning and highly skilled artisans, of course.
Most of the pieces on display in Luminescent Duality reflect a contrast between rigid architectural structures and more fluid, elemental forms. Is this contrast something you consciously consider when designing?
Yes, it is. You can see it throughout a lot of pieces we’ve developed over the years. I have been focussing on using natural materials with our lighting collections, and I’m trying to show the natural beauty and character of a certain material; like glass in this case. It’s nice to pair it with something more ‘mechanical’, which we see in the structural brass bodies that feature in the designs.
The titles of the collections and the individual works are very evocative. Is naming your work quite an intuitive process?
It’s something we labour on quite a bit in the studio actually! I guess the names of the works are inspired by their forms and symbolism, but also their emotive characteristics that resonate in different ways with people. The title SOLACE, for example, comes from the idea that the object is like a glass tear that moves upwards and downwards, rather like emotions themselves.
How do you choose the artisans you work with to create these pieces?
They are all Australian-based, and many of them I have known for several years like Liam Flemming, an Adelaide-based artist and glassblower who has blown all the glass for the works in Luminescent Duality. He is an incredible artist with an amazing body of work, and I’m fortunate that was very enthusiastic about collaborating with us to bring our designs to life. It’s a very small community of artisans we work with, but often we’ll work with the same artist or artisan for several collections.
How closely do you observe the developments and innovations in the global lighting designsphere? Is it something that informs your research and development for new collections?
I don’t really observe what’s happening globally in lighting design from an industry trends perspective. There are certainly brands and designers who inspire me like Lindsey Adelman Studio and David Weeks, who I think produce timeless designs that represent an ideal harmony between form, materiality, and functionality.
I’ve been building our studio now for 17 years, and our work has developed according to its own hallmarks. Functionality and materiality are always at the forefront of what we create. I try not to think too much about the aesthetic connection between all the pieces, but there is a beautiful thread that seems to run through the collections, which becomes particularly evident in these exhibition contexts.
Are most of your clients based in Australia? Is there a preference for a particular lighting style or design in the Australian market?
Yes, Australia is our biggest market, and the US is our second. For the past six or so years we have been trying to do more work internationally. I wouldn’t say there is a preference for a particular style. As a designer, I have learnt not to have any aspirations or desire to oversee where the products end up. Each one will have a life of its own in a different space. I enjoy observing the way interior designers and architects interpret the product, and we receive a lot of customisation requests depending on project and space typologies. We do try to create quite a cohesive aesthetic narrative through each collection, but interior designers and clients always have their own take on the product, so we often accommodate customisation requests.
What has been your experience at Milan Design Week?
I love it. The experience of showing our work here is very inspiring, and it’s something we aim to do every second year. During a show, I try to be present in the space as much as possible; meeting people, greeting visitors, and engaging with everyone who comes to see the work. Even in the years when we’re not exhibiting in Milan Design Week, I still find it very valuable to attend anyway as a visitor; to absorb it all and take everything in. I often use that time to explore sites, pursue opportunities and make relevant connections in preparation for our next exhibition here.
