Jan Ernst’s Cavus Collection Brings Clay to Life

Humans have incredible powers of pattern recognition. The way we process information allows us to make connections between subjects, even when they may not be immediately obvious—even when they may not be there in the first place. The debut in Objects with narratives in 2025, the Cavus Collection with Jan Ernst is inspired by the arid plains and quicksand of the Karoo, a semi-desert region of Ernst’s native South Africa. Playfully incorporating the space between furniture, landscape and creature, the collection deftly welcomes biomimetic qualities into the home.

This painting features three ridged plateaus, each slightly larger than the last. As each layer expands, a new gradient is formed, taking into account the light flowing into the relief. Each is sculpted by hand, allowing the human touch to shape the ridges, each surface unique. Almost mimicking a canyon in the regularity of layers, an ancient quality of knowledge is imbued within the forms, awakening structures and neurons from long ago.

When it is off, its fine folds Cavus Sconce 02 are in stark contrast, the light gives meaning to the hand-made tops of the clay. Alternating tones evoke sand dunes alive with wind, ever-changing yet monumental in scale. When on, warm lighting tones create scales of warmth in the interior, deliberate dimming lends itself well to diffused light.

THE Hollow pendant it offers a similarly attractive, warm tone, contrasting nicely with the light gray tone of the clay. Light emerges from beneath a hooded jumpsuit, layers of solidity a cohesive signature of the collection.

THE Cavus table lampshown below, offers a tabletop member of the family. As much a cloud floating inert as the sand dunes in the distance, the shifting shape is stabilized by a cylindrical base, grounding the purely organic form in something inherently human: the column.

Jan Ernst is a South African designer, spanning various disciplines in his practice – including but not limited to art, sculpture and landscape design. A fascination with the subtle yet complex structures of nature informs his work, bridging the gap between our human thought processes and the wonders of the organic world. Through these explorations of form, Ernst asks us to explore the similarities between the beauty of nature and humanity.

To learn more about the Cavus collection by Jan Ernst, visit objectswithnarratives.com.

Photo courtesy of Objects With Narratives.

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.