TL;DR
Get pool and patio gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Floral artist Hamish Powell created a botanical installation for ABASK’s debut lighting collection, now presented at Salon Art + Design in New York. The display uses 1,500 repurposed corn husks alongside flowers and greenery to complement 13 lighting designs. Powell says he embraces how natural materials change and how artificial light alters a composition.
Floral artist Hamish Powell has created a botanical installation for homeware platform ABASK’s debut lighting collection, now on display at Salon Art + Design in New York. The arrangement includes 1,500 repurposed corn husks and works with lighting from 13 makers, bringing changing natural materials together with collectible design.
According to Livingetc, the New York presentation is the first US outing for one of Powell’s signature “breathing installations.” He arranged corn husks, blooms and sculptural greenery around lighting designs spanning wood, metal, shell, leather and marble. The installation includes pieces by Yuxuan Huang, Helle Mardahl and Kickie Chudikova, among the 13 makers represented.
Powell said he chose to respond to each lamp individually rather than make the display follow one consistent style. “Because the lamps had their own material language and personality, I wanted to approach each one uniquely,” he told Livingetc. He said flowers can make objects feel less static, setting the fixed forms of the lamps against plants that change and decay.
The corn husks came into Powell’s work during an earlier shoot for ABASK’s lighting launch. He recalled that the effect became clear when the lamp was switched on: “It was only when we turned on the lamp and saw the gorgeous layering of light through the corn husks that it blew my mind.” The source identifies the installation as part of ABASK’s booth at the design fair.
How Plants Change the Lighting Display
The display makes the interaction between a lamp and its surroundings part of the work. Powell told Livingetc that styling for artificial and natural light means making “two compositions”: one with a lamp off and another with it on. Backlighting may reveal the veins in a petal, while other flowers can appear flatter; warm illumination can also make reds look nearly black and bring out yellow and orange tones.
That approach connects the installation’s materials to the way people experience lighting at home and in a gallery: the object is not the only source of visual effect. Powell also said plant shadows can be more compelling than the plants themselves, citing backlit anthuriums beside Helle Mardahl’s Green Mushroom lamp. The presentation places that observation alongside collectible designs, while using repurposed plant material as part of the composition.
Popular right now
Samsung 65-Inch The Frame Pro Neo QLED 4K TV (2026) Bundle with Modern Brown Bezel, HDMI Cables, and Home Theater Guide
KitchenAid 5.5-Qt Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, Porcelain White (KSM55SXXX)
Philips Café Aromis Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo Pro Milk System
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From ABASK Shoot to New York Fair
The installation follows an autumn collaboration in which Powell worked with ABASK on a shoot marking the launch of the platform’s first lighting category. The collection is described in the source as live online, and the fair presentation extends that collaboration into a physical display.
Powell is known for floral work associated with fashion houses including Hermès and Loewe, as well as a bouquet linked to Charli XCX’s wedding. For ABASK, his focus was not simply to place flowers beside lamps: he used materials such as dried botanicals and nori sheets on wire armatures to respond to particular designs. For Yuxuan Huang’s Spring Flower Lamp, he said the form reminded him of an underwater creature and used nori in a reference to kelp.
Among the pieces in the presentation is Kickie Chudikova’s Pulpopolis series, which Powell named as his favorite. The four-piece series uses hand-blown Murano glass in octopus-like forms and multiple colors. Powell said the appearance changes with viewing angle, producing different combinations of color and form.
““Sometimes it’s more interesting to work with the flow of nature than against it.””
— Hamish Powell, speaking to Livingetc
Details the Report Does Not Specify
The source does not give the fair’s specific dates, the installation’s dimensions, or how long the botanical materials will remain on view. It also does not say whether the 1,500 corn husks will be reused after the presentation or how the materials were prepared for display. Powell’s comments describe his creative choices; the source does not provide independent information about the installation’s environmental impact or the broader collection’s sales.
The Installation’s Public Showing
The immediate next step is the presentation at ABASK’s booth during Salon Art + Design in New York. The source reports that ABASK’s lighting collection is already live, but gives no further schedule for the installation or announcement of additional Powell collaborations. Visitors and prospective buyers can look to ABASK’s own listings and the fair’s published information for current availability and access details.
Key Questions
What has Hamish Powell created for ABASK?
He created a botanical installation for ABASK’s debut lighting category, combining flowers, greenery and 1,500 repurposed corn husks with lighting designs.
Where is the installation being shown?
The display is at ABASK’s booth at Salon Art + Design in New York. The source does not provide the fair dates.
Which designers’ lights appear in the display?
The source names work by Yuxuan Huang, Helle Mardahl and Kickie Chudikova, among designs from 13 makers represented in the installation.
Why did Powell use corn husks?
Powell said he first experimented with corn husks during the ABASK shoot. He was struck by how light layered through the material when a lamp was switched on.
What remains unknown about the installation?
The report does not specify how long the display will remain at the fair, what will happen to its botanical materials afterward, or whether Powell and ABASK have further projects planned.
Source: livingetc.com
