Kindling

Kindling for Melbourne Design Week, the first of Adam Markowitz and Ruth Allen’s ongoing series, is a singular wall light forged through fire, tension, and precision – where blown glass and finely crafted timber collide in a scorched and intimate dialogue. The molten glass is warped and stretched by its encounter with wood; the timber, in turn, is blackened and blistered. The two elements are locked together in a dry-fit bridle joint – no adhesives, only balance, skill, and risk. The warped glass bubble hangs in quiet suspense, its fragility offset by the exactitude of mortise and tenon joinery. Light from a concealed LED refracts through the distorted surface, casting shifting patterns of shadow and flame across the wall.

This object is the result of a raw, process-led collaboration between glass artist Ruth Allen and architect/fine woodworker Adam Markowitz. Exhibited at 100 Lights by Friends & Associates, and demonstrated live at Melbourne Design Week 2025, Kindling reimagines the ancient role of wood in glassmaking as co-conspirator. The glass was formed and deformed by its interaction with the timber, while the timber was ignited and burnt as it was subjected to the glass – creating a unified luminaire in which each medium was defined by the other.


Collaboration with Adam Markowitz
Highly Commended, Clarence Prize 2025
Photography by Fred Kroh