A design studio that specialises in beeswax has curated a London Design Festival exhibition revealing how living trees can provide materials for design objects.
Wax Atelier is behind The Abney Effect, a treasure trove of objects and material experiments made using bio-based waxes, resins, oils, fibres and dyes, all sourced from unfelled trees.
The exhibition is on show at Wax Atelier’s new workshop space on the edge of Abney Park, a historic London cemetery that doubles as a woodland nature reserve.
Highlights include lamps made from pine resin, wood-derived wax crayons and a series of scented waxes created from different parts of orange trees.
Designer and Wax Atelier co-founder Lola Lely said the setting was the starting point for the show.
Located in Stoke Newington, Abney Park first opened in 1840 as an arboretum. It once contained 2,500 species of tree – more than even Kew Gardens has today – including a rosarium with over 1,000 varieties of rose.
“That was the inspiration,” Lely told Dezeen during a tour of the show.
“Besides oxygen, paper and wood, loads of things are derived from trees. We wanted to create a retrospective of those things.”
The show includes experiments from Lely’s own design studio and products that she and Wax Atelier co-founder Yesenia Thibault-Picazo have produced together.
But it also spotlights other designers and studios working with tree-based materials, in an attempt to foster collaboration.
“We all have a synergy in terms of craft, experimentation and innovation, but often we work in our own bubbles,” said Lely.
“We wanted to create opportunities for dialogue. If people are working with the same materials, maybe it can unlock something.”
Wax Atelier is exhibiting aromatic wax collections made from the orange tree’s flower, leaves, fruit and bark. The studio has also created a new version of its wax linen flowers, based on roses.
A collaboration with designer Jacob Marks resulted in the pine-resin lamps, while CQ Studio is showing how it turns bio-resin into sequins.
The Forest Crayons were developed by design studio Playfool using waste lumber. Different varieties of wood produce different colours, revealing the spectrum of shades that exist in nature.
A wall cabinet reveals experiments by Dutch potter Arjan Van Dal, investigating how wood ash can be used to create a glass-effect glaze for porcelain.
Vietnamese fashion brand Kilomet 109 is showcasing a range of materials it uses in its garments, including padding material derived from Sharon fruit and buttons made from coconuts.
Other eye-catching exhibits include Jamie Quade’s Grown Sundial, crafted from a fallen tree, and Lely’s Kabuto Lights, folded pendant lamps made from naturally dyed Japanese mulberry paper.
Founded in 2017, Wax Atelier has its main studio in nearby Walthamstow.
The Abney Effect is the first exhibition that the studio has hosted in its new workshop space, Labs, which was gifted by Hackney Council and the custodians of Abney Park as a space for research and community engagement.
The exhibition is part of the Dalston to Stokey Design District, one of several districts in London Design Festival.
The show programme includes a series of interactive events, including a sundial-making workshop and a tour of Abney Park’s trees with a local ecologist.
“The showcase’s setting in Abney Park creates a sense of curiosity, connecting objects and materials with their natural surroundings in a way that we hope feels both new and familiar or unfamiliar,” said Lely.
“By including ecological walks and preserving natural elements, the showcase ties design to environmental awareness, emphasising the importance of harmonising design with nature and fostering a deeper appreciation for sustainability.”
Other London Design Festival events include the Craft x Tech exhibition at the V&A showing designers, including Sabine Marcelis, who have collaborated with Japanese master artisans.
The exhibition photography is by Sara Hibbert.
The Abney Effect runs from 16 to 22 September as part of London Design Festival. Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.
