Alicja Strzyzynska & Onur Iseri
Studio AOAO
Lamp maker
Den Helder, Netherlands
Sculpture meets plaster and light
- Alicja and Onur have pioneered a layering technique using alabaster plaster
- Their works express different emotional states
- They craft their sculptural pieces using materials such as ceramic and gypsum
Alicja Strzyzynska and Onur Iseri’s lighting creations and sculptural objects explore the balance between solid and void, structure and flow, stillness and movement. Alicja earned a master’s in design from the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and worked in architectural studios in Tokyo and Amsterdam. Onur studied business in Japan, where he worked in digital design, marketing and teaching. Inspired by the sculpting practice of Alicja’s grandfather, the duo was seeking a slower pace of life and found sculpture to be the perfect medium for their multidisciplinary backgrounds. In 2021, they founded Studio AOAO in Amsterdam, where their sculptures exist as both sensible art objects and functional pieces. “We like to take the role of observers, watching how people interact with and interpret our works,” Alicja and Onur say.
INTERVIEW
Onur: We have developed a layering technique using alabaster plaster, in which multiple tones of the same colour are built up gradually. Each layer is applied, sanded back and reapplied repeatedly. We also experiment with adding chamotte to the clay, which gives the pieces a rugged, primordial texture such as stone or bark.
Alicja: I see tradition as something physical, like a memory in the hands. I use similar materials that my sculptor grandfather used, but I translate his mindset into a contemporary approach through exploration. Innovation is about material exploration and sensory clarity rather than high-tech tools.
Onur: My Turkish background brings a sense of expressiveness to my work, and the time I spent in Japan taught me to value quiet, unspoken details. Alicja's Polish background comes through in a certain warmth or emotional weight, while living in the Netherlands has added more structure and discipline to how she works.
Alicja: I am inspired by the natural world, forests and emotions or psychological patterns. Onur finds his inspiration in philosophy, materials and continuous experimentation. If enough time is spent working on a specific material, the material itself will tell you how it likes to be shaped.
Alicja Strzyzynska & Onur Iseri
Studio AOAO
Lamp maker
Den Helder, Netherlands
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Den Helder, Netherlands
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English, Polish, Turkish
Homo Faber Finds is a new service aiming to inspire admirers of craft to connect and collaborate with exceptional artisans.
We invite you to submit an enquiry here.
