Draga & Aurel’s Crisalide presents new depths in glass

Glass is an ancient and ancient material. As much as modern humans try to innovate, some materials resist reinvention more than others. Glass, in particular, exists in a range of techniques that have changed surprisingly little over the centuries. The furnaces may burn hotter and the tools may be refined, but the central dialogue between heat, gravity and the human hand remains remarkably intact.

Presented with Todd Merrill Studio, Dear & Aurel celebrate the handmade nature of the material through Chrysalisa collection of sculptural lighting first unveiled at Design Miami last year. A story of creation itself, small bubbles remain suspended within the glass surfaces—quiet traces of the forces that brought each piece into existence.

Featuring a monumental pendant pendant alongside a pair of sconces, the Crisalide easily transcends its function to serve as a sculptural work of art. Each piece is meticulously handcrafted in collaboration with a renowned glassblowing studio in Venice, where Murano’s centuries-old glass traditions continue to shape modern experimentation.

Within this framework, light becomes more than illumination. For Draga & Aurel, it acts as a transformative agent—bringing color to life, revealing layers, and shifting the perception of the object itself. Overlapping colored layers of hand-blown glass form iridescent, oval bodies that hover between density and translucency, capturing a moment of transformation suspended in material form.

A fluid, precisely designed line of LEDs activates the works from within, tracing a luminous movement through the glass body. As viewers move within their presence, perception changes: color deepens, transparency changes, and surfaces come to life with subtle movements. The effect heightens the object’s aura while offering insight into its structure, revealing a poetic interplay of shadow, hue and texture. Light becomes the final partner—cutting through the material to bring clarity while emphasizing the expressive, almost biomorphic character of the figures.

The name Crisalide, meaning chrysalis, suggests this moment of transformation – the suspensory passage between potential and manifestation. In this sense, lamps embody a threshold state where light is prepared to form, and the glass holds this transformation in balance.

The collection is also based on the studio’s ongoing interest in the transparency and expressive potential of color layered onto the material – ideas explored through experimental color layering processes that create ever-changing palettes and depth within the glass.

To learn more about the Crisalide collection by Draga & Aurel, presented by Todd Merrill Studio, visit toddmerrillstudio.com.

Photo courtesy of Todd Merrill.

Growing up in New York gave Aria a unique perspective on art + design, constantly striving for new projects to delve into. An avid baker, crocheter and pasta maker, craft and the personal touch are central to what she loves about the built environment. Outside of the city, she enjoys hiking, biking, and learning about space.