I fell completely in love with this snake wall light when I stumbled upon a set of four of them this summer in my neighbourhood. I spend my Saturdays walking on Hampstead Heath, then have lunch at my favourite Japanese cafe on Flask Walk. There’s an antiques dealer there called Keith Fawkes who has books and small objects out on show, and I always have to have a look. He had them on his street stand. I went away, had a coffee and kept thinking about them. I couldn’t let them go.
They are from the 1970s. I’m not sure exactly where they’re from, somewhere in Britain. They’re made of beautiful polished brass and seeded glass with a tint that resembles snakeskin. I love the colour; when you turn them on, you can see the texture and they look like jewels on the wall. I have two in my office and a pair at home. My relationship with them is quite platonic at the moment because they are not wired in yet, but I love their decorative nature.
The way I showcase them in my studio – next to a contemporary artwork – is representative of the style that we embrace in my studio’s work, the duality between old and new. Vintage objects have a provenance and history that you can’t really replicate. I grew up around them; my father was an architect and my mum was a passionate collector. She would drag me around antiques markets whether I liked it or not! That was my childhood, it was embedded in how I was brought up.
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The lights are in exactly the same condition now as when I found them. In fact, I was wondering whether I should try to age them a little bit, but now they are on the wall I like the fact they’re a little bit blingy! The feeling I had when I first saw them was so visceral; I love that connection between humans and objects. I like thinking about who used to own them and the many homes and studios they will decorate in the future. I find that idea very romantic. boronkay.studio
