Sturdy Metal Meets Delicate Floral Forms in Alvaro Ucha Rodriguez's "Momento" Project
“A core tenent of the project is upending the idea of metal only being a cold, rigid and lifeless material.”
Metals and flowers are on decidedly opposite ends of the spectrum. The first is sturdy, industrial, stout. The other is beautiful, delicate, colorful. However, designer Alvaro Ucha Rodriguez — known for his work at NYC shop and design incubator Lichen, where he’s created pieces like the Pitch Pendant Lamp and Puddle Sconce — is bringing the two closer together with his new “Momento” project.
Ucha Rodriguez describes the collection as a “showcase of his personal style,” and notes that he wanted to “[upend] the idea of metal only being a cold, rigid, and lifeless material. This led me to create work that exemplifies the opposite of that, which, in this case, is a flower.”
This ethos translated into the collection’s two pieces, a seven-inch sculpture and a 14-inch-wide lampshade. Both have been produced in a bright red tone and a more muted stainless steel fabrication, with each piece’s details adhering to their respective ethos: the former features bloom-inspired red details and, in the case of the sculpture, a green base for a nod to a flower’s stalk, while the latter sticks to a complete, unpainted stainless steel construction. Lamps also come with ceiling hooks for easy installation.
Aidan Elias
The full “Momento” offering is available now via Alvaro Ucha Rodriguez’s website with lamps priced at $250 USD and sculptures at $150 USD.
Spotlights
