Przemek Krawczyński

Calabarte

Lamp maker

©Paweł Ławreszuk

©Przemysław Krawczyński

©Beata Oleksiewicz

The light enhancer

Przemek’s biggest fascination is geometry and light
His laborious patterns have up to 20,000 holes
He uses African gourds for their quality material, colour and shape

For Przemek Krawczyński becoming an artisan was a matter of coincidence. It began when his mother brought home a gourd fruit she got from a gardener friend. Curious about its shape, he looked it up on the internet and found photos of lamps – "I thought it would be nice to make a lamp for myself, and that’s how it all started!" As a working student, Przemek began exploring his new hobby and made lamps for his friends. It was a self-taught path. A year later, he had the opportunity to go for a month to Senegal for drumming workshops. "I quit university and my job. I came back broke, but I knew that I wanted to make lamps." That was over 10 years ago, and today his lamps enchant the homes of connoisseurs from all continents.

Interview

©Radosław Zawadzki

©Magdalena Krawczyńska

When did the Calabarte brand begin?: Since I came back from Senegal, I have only made lamps from African gourds. I created my first website and would upload photos to portals like DeviantArt to show my work. When in 2011 a larger foreign portal published an article about my work, I started to receive requests from people across the world.
Why is your making process so time consuming?: From the beginning my rule has been to not repeat patterns. Each lamp is a unique piece. I am a perfectionist and with every project, refining my skills and precision, my designs evolve. The designs are more laborious, and I am more ambitious.
What is your inspiration when you design?: Geometry in all its aspects. I used to go through fractals a lot, it would stimulate my imagination. I start sketching a pattern that with time evolves, it's a complex process. My spatial imagination and analytical skills come in handy.
How do you envision the future for Calabarte?: More than once it has occurred to me to hire a few people and increase the number of projects. However, I feel that even if I make so few lamps a year, I am constantly evolving my own personal style. Right now, I am also working on jewellery that might become a new part of my craft.

Przemek Krawczyński is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2009