Dwell 2015 09

finishing touch
Playing
With Fire
In her Portland studio, designer
Andi Kovel of Esque Studios transforms
molten glass into colorful creations—
including a new foray into lighting.
text by
Heather Corcoran
Esque Studio is based out of a
3,000-square-foot warehouse
in the St. Johns neighborhood
of Portland, Oregon. Designers
Andi Kovel (below) and Justin
Parker share the space with
three dogs and their landlord’s
fleet of champion race cars.
For something that ends up as fragile as glass, the
process behind its making is quite physical. Artist and
designer Andi Kovel picked up the practice while studying
sculpture, and in collaboration with Justin Parker as Esque
Studios, she spins, twists, twirls, and polishes the red-hot
material for nearly every handmade creation. Their design
process usually starts with a sketch, but the pair use their
studio as an arena for improvisation. “The pieces that seem
to work best long-term feel smooth and organic while
we’re making them,” says Kovel, who has worked alongside
Parker for nearly two decades. Their latest experiments,
plus a growing demand for custom projects, have led them
to lighting design, and this year they’ve debuted a collaboration
with fellow Portland makers Cedar & Moss as well
as a line of their own. “Our goal,” says Kovel, “is to lead the
movement of trend by creating new notions in glass—
attaching craft to function to fine art, and to break away
from the notion of craft as kitsch.”
PHOTO BY BOONE SPEED PHOTOGRAPHY
136
SEPTEMBER 2015
DWELL