26 March 2026
Artist Highlight - Rosie May
Interview and Review
Rosie May is a British ceramic designer working at the intersection of craft and contemporary lighting design. Based in Essex, she develops sculptural lighting as collectible design objects from her studio.
Porcelain remains central to her work for its translucency, allowing the light to be softened and shaped through the body of the material. Using slipcasting techniques, she develops forms that allow precise manipulation of wall thickness and surface to influence the diffusion of light.
Rosie graduated in Ceramic Design from Central Saint Martins in 2025. Since graduating, her work has been exhibited in London and featured in Architectural Digest. She is currently expanding her practice into a cohesive collection of studio-made lighting for contemporary homes.
ARTIST INTERVIEW
1. Pure Apricity translates the warmth of winter sunlight into a sculptural lighting object. What drew you to this particular atmospheric quality of light?
I’ve always been drawn to winter sunlight — it’s a restorative, gentle kind of light that feels both rare and precious. Its warmth exists in contrast to the cold, making it more noticeable and quietly calming. There’s something about its fleeting nature that encourages you to pause and acknowledge it. Pure Apricity translates this atmospheric quality into something held and continuous, allowing that same sense of calm and quiet comfort to exist within an interior setting.
2. Porcelain plays a central role in diffusing illumination within the work. How do you control wall thickness and form to shape the quality of light emitted?
I use slip casting as a method of control and experimentation, allowing precise manipulation of wall thickness resulting in an even diffusion of light. The organic form is established during the mould-making process, where I use techniques such as sledging to introduce asymmetry and variation. This is then translated consistently through casting. By carefully controlling wall thickness, I regulate how much light passes through the porcelain, creating a soft, even glow that shifts gently across the surface rather than feeling uniform.
3. The title refers to an intangible sensation rather than a physical object. How do you approach materialising such an atmospheric experience through design?
I approach it by translating a feeling into material qualities rather than literal forms. Instead of representing sunlight directly, I focus on how it behaves and how it makes you feel - diffused, warm and gentle. Through porcelain's translucency and the soft, rounded forms, the work holds and releases light in a way that evokes that atmosphere. The aim is not to replicate the experience exactly, but to create an object that quietly carries the same emotional resonance.
4. The organic form of the lamp appears calm and minimal. How do natural references influence the development of its shape and surface?
Natural references inform both the form and its sense of balance. These references guide the soft curves and proportions, creating a sense of quiet stability. The surface remains minimal to allow light and form to take precedence, echoing the simplicity and subtlety found in natural objects.
5. Lighting functions here as both sculpture and interior object. How do you negotiate the balance between aesthetic presence and functional performance?
I approach the piece as both functional light and a sculptural object, ensuring neither aspect dominates. The structure must perform reliably as a light source, but the emphasis is on the quality of light rather than the brightness. By softening the illumination and focusing on atmosphere, the lamp becomes something to live with rather than simply use. It sits comfortably within a space, offering both presence and purpose without demanding attention.
6. Porcelain’s translucency allows light to pass gently through the material. What interests you about this quiet transformation of light within the ceramic body?
I’m interested in how porcelain transforms light from something direct into something soft and internal. Rather than projecting light outward, the material holds it and allows it to emerge gradually. This creates a quieter, more atmospheric quality, where light feels embedded within the form. It shifts the focus from illumination as function to light as a material experience, something to be perceived rather than simply used.
7. The piece creates a soft ambient glow rather than a direct light source. How does this approach shape the emotional atmosphere of the space around it?
By avoiding direct light, the piece creates a more intimate and calming atmosphere. The soft ambient glow reduces visual intensity and allows the space to feel more settled and restorative. It encourages slower engagement, where light supports rather than dominates the environment. This approach makes the lamp less about visibility and more about mood, shaping how a space feels rather than how brightly it is lit.
8. Within The Invisible Made Visible, your work reveals how light can shape perception and mood. What kind of sensory experience do you hope viewers encounter when standing near the lamp?
I hope the viewer experiences a sense of quiet pause when standing near the lamp. The light is intended to draw attention gently, without overwhelming, creating a moment of calm and reflection. There’s a subtle sensory shift - a soft warmth, a reduced visual noise - that encourages stillness. The work invites a slower, more attentive way of experiencing light, where atmosphere and emotion take precedence over function.
LIGHT AS ATMOSPHERE AND MATERIAL
Review by Chih-Yang Chen, Art Director
Rosie May’s practice explores the intersection of ceramic craft and contemporary lighting, focusing on how material can shape the experience of light within space. Working primarily with porcelain, Rosie develops sculptural lighting objects that move beyond function, treating illumination as a material condition rather than a purely technical output. In Pure Apricity, she translates an atmospheric quality of winter sunlight into a form that holds and diffuses light with quiet precision.
At the centre of the work is an attention to the behaviour of light as it passes through porcelain. Using slipcasting techniques, Rosie carefully controls wall thickness to regulate the diffusion of illumination. This process allows light to move gradually through the material, softening its intensity and creating an even, ambient glow. Rather than projecting light outward, the form contains and releases it subtly, producing a sense that the light is embedded within the object itself.
The form of the lamp is restrained and organic, shaped through references to natural balance and proportion. Gentle asymmetries introduced during mould making prevent the object from becoming overly uniform, allowing the surface to retain a sense of quiet variation. This minimal approach directs attention toward the interaction between material and light, where surface, thickness, and curvature work together to shape perception.
The work is grounded in the translation of an intangible experience. The title Pure Apricity refers to the warmth of sunlight during winter, a quality that is both fleeting and perceptible. Rather than representing this condition directly, Rosie approaches it through material and atmosphere. The soft diffusion of light, combined with the calm presence of the form, evokes a sense of warmth and stillness that extends into the surrounding space.
Function and sculpture are closely balanced within the piece. While the object operates as a light source, its emphasis lies in atmosphere rather than brightness. The illumination is deliberately subdued, creating a more intimate environment that encourages slower engagement. In this way, the lamp becomes something to live alongside rather than simply use, shaping the mood of a space without asserting itself.
Through Pure Apricity, Rosie reframes light as a sensory and emotional experience. By working through the material qualities of porcelain, she demonstrates how light can be softened, contained, and made perceptible in new ways. The work invites viewers to pause and become aware of subtle shifts in atmosphere, where light, material, and space come together in a quiet and considered balance.