At CTO Lighting, every design begins with material — brass, alabaster, glass, or stone. Each is carefully selected not only for its beauty but for its ability to transform light, defining the atmosphere and character of every space.
Pushing this philosophy beyond lighting, artist Matt Turner reimagined CTO Lighting’s signature materials through sculpture, exploring what happens when function takes a step back and material takes center stage. The collaboration resulted in three extraordinary works, each telling its own story of transformation.
The first is a cast bronze candle holder, developed in collaboration with jewelry brand The Ouze, conceived as a large-scale piece of jewelry that bridges the worlds of fine jewelry and sculpture, preserving the marks of its making. The second is a table constructed entirely from individual alabaster cubes, each unique, creating a mosaic that celebrates the stone’s natural unpredictability and geological beauty. The third is a topographical alabaster block: using aerial data from the Aragon quarry where the stone was sourced, Turner milled the landscape directly onto the material, producing a work that is simultaneously sculpture, map, and memorial.
These works explore origin, process, and the quiet poetry of transformation, revealing how materials in their purest state can inspire and inform contemporary design. Readers are invited to explore CTO Lighting’s latest journal to see Matt Turner’s creative process, inspirations, and reflections on celebrating material as the true protagonist of design.
