Jean-Pascal Gauthier's intriguing, sculptural pendants

Two images both featuring a light fixture. The left fixture has a plant attached to the fitting. The right fixture shows the light at an angle (5pm).

Canadian design Jean-Pascal Gauthier has quietly and quickly caught the attention of the design industry by way of his ambiguously compelling light fixtures

(Image credit: Jean-Pascal Gauthier)

By Cara Gibbs

last updated 2 August 2022

Alexander Calder once questioned, 'Why must art be static?' His response was an exhibition of sculpture that spoke in an abstract language articulated only by motion. His mobiles introduced a new genre of possibilities within the art world and just so happened to serve as inspiration for a young, emerging lighting designer.

Jean-Pascal Gauthier has quietly and quickly caught the attention of the design industry by way of his ambiguously compelling light fixtures. Driven by geometric anomalies and a notion of the organic, Gauthier has assembled an impressive collection of pendants each more intriguing than the last.

'I’m inspired by the geometry and architecture found in forms,' states Gauthier. 'Being a highly visual person, I’m easily inspired by anything that attracts me in my daily life and my intention is to make a place for it within my work and designs.'

The Montreal-based designer has stayed true to his visual aptitude, parlaying an endless array of shapes and angles, textures and materials, and even living structures into his forms. Gauthier uses noble elements in his compositions, creating a balancing-act between materials such as brass, stainless steel, marble, granite, mirror, glass, walnut wood and acrylic. ‘I wanted to find new materials that would create balance,' explains the self-taught designer. 'A plant sounded like a good idea to provide an organic feel to the lamps and that would be a perfect juxtaposition to the materials used.' It’s this type of creative thinking and ingenuity that have the markings of an icon in the making.

As well as Calder, the designer also credits the minimal nature of the Bauhaus era along with the avant-garde painters of the cubism movement as additional sources of inspiration for his work. It’s Gauthier’s philosophy (and hope) that the line between art and design always remain blurred within his pieces. 'I’m not just making lamps,' he says. 'I build sculptural objects that serve a purpose in a person's life.'

A light fitting that hangs down and has a 90 degree angle three quarters of the way down to the right which leads to the lightbulb. One offshoot part of the fixture hangs off to the left. — Driven by geometric anomalies and the notion of organic, Gauthier has assembled an impressive collection of pendants each more intriguing than the last

A light fitting hanging down with one lightbulb at the bottom, a connecting lightbulb to at the end of an off-set branch to the left, and another bulb at the end of a branch that points diagonally to 2pm. — Gauthier says, 'Being a highly visual person, I’m easily inspired by anything that attracts me in my daily life and my intention is to make a place for it within my work and designs'

Two light fittings hanging down parallel to each other. The left fixture is in black with an offshoot to the right at two-thirds of the way down where there is a small plant being held in a glass. The right fixture has two light fittings hanging down that run parallel to each other until two thirds of the way down where they separate and curve away from each other (the left is shorter than the right). At one third of the way down is an offshoot in a wrench shape where a plant in a cup is being held. — Gauthier uses noble elements in his compositions, creating a balancing-act between materials such as brass, stainless steel, marble, granite, mirror, glass, walnut wood and acrylic

Two photos. Left is a black and white portrait of Jean-Pascal Gauthier dressed in a beanie hat, a trench coat and cropped trousers with black Adidas trainers. On the right is a light fixture with two branches. The bulb hangs from a separate offshoot branch — Gauthier (pictured left) names Alexander Calder as a key inspiration, along with the Bauhaus era and the avant-garde painters of the cubism movement

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Jean-Pascal Gauthier's Instagram profile

Photography courtesy Jean-Pascal Gauthier