Sculptural ceramic lamps from Brooklyn’s In Common With and Danny Kaplan
‘Terra’, a new collection of ceramic lamps featuring tactile glazes, puts Brooklyn studio In Common With and ceramicist Danny Kaplan in the spotlight

William Jess Laird - Photography
The design industry can be a competitive place, but the Brooklyn-based lighting studio In Common With and fellow Brooklynite, ceramicist Danny Kaplan, have made a compelling case for working together. The two studios have come together to launch ‘Terra’, a sculptural lighting collection featuring Kaplan’s ceramic work that they have designed together.
Stemming from a mutual admiration that first emerged over social media, the partnership between In Common With and Kaplan started out organically and continues to grow, with eight new geometric forms now joining the original six pieces that they unveiled in 2020, on the cusp of the pandemic.
‘Terra’ ceramic lamps by In Common With and Danny Kaplan
Portrait of Danny Kaplan, Nick Ozemba and Felicia Hung.
‘Our studio was founded around a spirit of collaboration. Because materiality is so central to what we do, we are always looking to work with other makers, artists and craftspeople who complement our point of view, skill set and have expertise in a particular material, whether it’s metalwork, glass or ceramics,’ says Nick Ozemba, who co-founded In Common With alongside fellow designer Felicia Hung. ‘We love the interplay of light with the tactility of hand-thrown ceramics. Danny has such a mastery of the medium, so he was the perfect person to help us bring these pieces to life.’
Ozemba adds, ‘The first iteration of “Terra” launched digitally in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and really resonated with our clients. We have continued experimenting with new ideas, and it’s exciting to now expand the collection in new directions. Danny has such a distinctive, yet timeless sensibility and an interest in form that parallels the approach Felicia and I have to design. Together, I think we have arrived at a new design language that came together in really interesting and unexpected ways.’
'Paloma' pendant
While not deviating from In Common With’s crisp and minimalist sensibility, ‘Terra’ leverages Kaplan’s handcrafted quality of ceramics and rich, tactile glazes to bring a new harmony between beauty and utility. Simple orb forms and timeless geometric assemblages exude a mercurial quality when combined with Kaplan’s gestures in ceramic and glaze.
New colourways, such as ivy greens, rust tones and even lapis, bring out a new lustre in ceramic form, that’s further complemented by brass hardware and concealed wiring. Each piece – the collaborative collection spans surface mount lights, a pendant, a sconce, a table lamp, a floor lamp, and the brand’s first mirror – easily illuminates an interior.
'Augustus' mirror
‘These objects look unlike anything we have done before in terms of colour and scale and are some of our boldest, most ambitious pieces to date,’ Ozemba says.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
‘The larger lights, like the “Paloma” pendant and “Helena” floor lamps, are bordering on the monumental with totemic forms – they are approaching something that almost blurs the line between lighting and sculpture.’
'Helena' floor lamp
INFORMATION
‘Terra’ is on view and available for purchase at Assembly Line in Brooklyn until 30 June 2022
ADDRESS
373 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, New York
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
Much of our team was in Copenhagen for 3 Days of Design this week. For those left basking in the London heatwave, it was architecture workshops, photography exhibitions and two very different performances: ballet and Britpop
-
The best bars in London for bartending greatness
From chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: live updates from the Wallpaper* team
From 20-23 June, Milan Fashion Week Men’s arrives in the Italian fashion capital. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other fashion happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* editors
-
The owner of this restored Spanish Colonial home turned it into a gallery – with no social media allowed
Casa Francis in LA is a private residence, but recently opened its doors to one member of the public at a time for an exhibition centred around domesticity
-
This Manhattan apartment and studio is a shrine to art
This New York artist's home is both comfortable and flexible, acting as a studio and a showcase for his work and collected pieces. We take a tour for our interiors series, The Inside Story
-
Yes, furniture can be ceramic. This artist is leading the way
'There’s a lot happening under the hood,' New York ceramicist Devin Wilde says of his sophomore collection.
-
Life’s a beach at this tropical-glam Miami development
Five Park Miami Beach mixes streamlined glamour with vibrant colour, and is the focus of Wallpaper’s interiors series, The Inside Story, as the Floridian city holds its annual Grand Prix
-
A Frank Lloyd Wright lamp broke auction record at Sotheby’s – fetching $7.5 million
The architect's ‘Double-Pedestal’ lamp, which was designed for the Dana House in 1903, has become his most valuable work ever offered at auction
-
This Colorado ski chalet combines Rocky Mountains warmth with European design nous
Wood and stone meet artisanal and antique pieces in this high-spec, high-design mountain retreat
-
Hilltop hideaway: Colony creates tranquil interiors for a Catskills retreat
Perched between two mountain ranges, this Catskills retreat marries bold, angular architecture with interiors that offer warmth and texture
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk Space
Furniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space