Christopher Merchant
For Roll & Hill
Constraints drive Christopher Merchant’s creativity. The Iowa-born and Minneapolis-based designer and sculptor studied chemistry and physics before he turned to woodworking and ceramics; his practice also includes 3D printing and digital manufacturing. That tension between the precise and the unplanned informs his pieces. For each collection, he first considers the characteristics of the material he will use. Then he creates a process, pairing custom-designed tools and molds with a wild-card element that will organically introduce variation in the run. The resulting lighting, furniture, and objects are singular but related, straddling the line between one-offs and scalable production.
“Lighting design offers some of the most rigorous constraints of any category. Finding new ways to thread that needle is infinitely fascinating.”
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christopher merchant
Chris’ table lamps are dialogues between a desired structure and a material’s own will. Everything from each piece’s shade to base is formed from clay. The material expresses itself during the firing process, morphing into its own distinct form that is then finished in a hand-applied glaze.
“When I design, most of the work goes into developing the process. That way the final product is repeatable but still retains the unique qualities of the material.”
Veil
Rooted in Merchant’s ceramic practice, Veil delivers a warm,
handmade quality with two tiers of slipcast and unglazed
porcelain tiles that reveal the depth of the material.
Table Lamp
The Silo lamps draw from architecture and infrastructure, balancing clean geometry with subtle variation. Available in two variations, the pieces feature a tapered form and tightly space ridges.
Table Lamp
Like genetically similar trees that grow into different sizes and shapes, the Arbor table lamps share a core identity but metamorphosize during their creation. The three variations—slim, squat, and large—reflect the same logic but shift in scale and proportion.
modular infrastructure
For Chris, the design process is just as important as the finished result. He utilizes a custom mix of tools and methods for each collection, using the combination only on that work.
With their grooved geometric patterns and peek-a-boo holes, Chris’ four takes on Roll & Hill’s Pith sconce have a retro edge. Handmade, each ceramic fixture is fitted with a 120V LED.