Phoenix Inspires Karice

High-end lighting fixtures and burned-down forests don’t appear to have much to do with each other, yet lighting firm Karice unites the two in one arresting image: A graceful phoenix takes flight over a charred, gnarled stump; the bird’s carved golden wings spread, its body aglow with soft light.

Capturing a landscape ravaged by forest fires, the photoshoot on the eastern shores of British Columbia’s Harrison Lake speaks to the legend of the phoenix, and floating above, the bird symbolizes its rising from the ashes.

“There was an unexplainable beauty,” notes Karice’s description of the birds. “The forest floor was starting to show signs of new life, blades of wild grass were emerging from the earth. This is the story of the phoenix; the birth of something new and beautiful after the fiery destruction.”

Each Karice piece is embedded with a sense of purpose and a story—and the Phoenix is no exception. Its conception began with inspiration from nature: feathers of various birds examined, and the single feather of a peacock chosen for its sophisticated shape. Heading a team of highly skilled craftsmen, lead designer Maurice Dery selected materials for the pendant-style fixture that would complement the organic feel: Brass, a moldable metal that takes on rich colour when heated with a torch, was selected for the finely wrought wings, while machined acrylic formed the body, allowing light to shine through in a diffuse warm glow.

Compromise is not in Dery’s vocabulary, and the road from sketch to tangible object underwent a series of prototypes and no less than five versions to get to the final design. “It doesn’t just fall together,” says the designer. “It takes hard work, perseverance, great skill, and experience.”