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String It Along: Lys Candelabra by Matte Berit Nyberg

Matte Berit Nyberg recently completed thesis work at Pratt Institute and one of my favorite pieces that she designed is this candelabra on a string. Basically, it’s a series of votive candle holders but they’re connected with a simple string so that they’re easily wrangled, displayed, and managed on your table top.

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She was inspired by Danish culture and how candles are essential to their lifestyle during the long, dark winters. And while this may look like a very simple design, there is a lot behind it. Below, Matte explains more about the thought behind this design:

Danish social culture is still also heavily influenced by the Jante Law that list 10 rules about how a person should conduct themselves. Many of these statements surround the thought of equality, stating that no one is better or more important than anyone else. I started with drawing circular forms as a 2d representation of equality. A circle has no top or bottom; it is interconnected, equal around its circumference and works perfectly as a symbol for a society that believes so deeply in the Jante Law. The wooden cups are strung on to a rope like beads and then the rope is knotted under each cup inside a small hole. The knot references the joining together and the strong hold within a community. Each of these cups in themselves were symbols of equality but I choose to link them together in a flexible way to emphasize that each individual although equal to everyone else still moves flexibly in their tight-knit society.

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Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living in SoCal. She dreams about funky, artistic jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, making music, and drawing.