PIERA BOCHNER

Piera Bochner is an artist and designer based in Brooklyn, New York. This candle project was born out of a love of the material wax and a desire to explore how wicks, wax, and flames can take new and unconventional paths. The shapes are derived from existing shapes, such as Romanesco broccoli and bitter melons sold in supermarkets in Chinatown, Union Square, and Berlin, and are fitted into rubber silicone molds. To make candles, waxes of different colors are melted one by one and poured into a mold, then each piece is allowed to cool and harden before being added to the next, creating a layered effect. The combination of different colors of wax and the melting power of the flame creates endless variations in the original shape. When a candle is fulfilling its purpose, it becomes a functional object, and when it is inactive, it becomes an ever-changing sculptural form.