In recent years, there has been a spotlight on the plight of our environment and on the importance of sustainable practices in all aspects of life. Johannesburg based lighting designer, Stephen Pikus, pushes the boundaries of sustainable practices in his sphere of influence by creating beautiful luminaires that are both environmentally friendly and socially beneficial in their manufacture. Pikus has two beautiful lighting ranges (with three more due for release in 2020), both of which are largely manufactured from waste products. He works closely with the city’s informal network of trolley-pushing recycling collectors, some established NGOs, and runs his own community upliftment initiative. Informal businesses are supported and unskilled workers are trained into competent craftsmen. They are also very involved in the YES (Youth Employment Services) by hosting 30 young interns, both male and female, for year long internships, where they receive hands-on work experience and learn numerous new skills.
The FIRE+ICE range is functional art created from recycled glass. Discarded glass is collected and processed until it resembles the opaque ‘tumbled’ look of sea glass, with no sharp edges. These glass elements are then individually wired into elegant light fittings and chandeliers. NOCKERS ENGINEERING PRODUCTS supplies the stainless-steel wire used to achieve the high-quality finish of the final product. There are a number of standard sizes available in three main shape categories; Linear Chandeliers (for an elegant addition to a bar or long table), pendant lights, or double volume pods (think glamorous stairwell centre-piece). Bespoke installations can also be created.
On one of his expeditions in search of discarded material, Pikus was inspired by a bin full of old truck filters. These elements are not usually recycled and just go to landfill. He created a light fitting that went on to win the 2014 Eskom Energy Efficient Lighting Design Competition, and the TRuK range was born. Filters are electroplated or powder coated in a range of colours; Copper, Gold, Silver, White, or Matt Black, and then assembled as pendant lights or table lamps. There is a range of standard sizes as well as once-off sizes that can be assembled into custom designs. The exact process has been patented to ensure that it isn’t able to be mass produced overseas, the skills development and community impact remains in South Africa.
