Candles have been in use in some way, shape, or form for thousands of years. It’s believed that both the ancient Egyptians and the Romans created a kind of wicked candle using rolled papyrus that was repeatedly dipped in melted beeswax or tallow. For centuries, until the advent electricity, they were an essential part of daily life.
Today, the tapers, votives, and pillars we decorate our homes with are mostly just that—decoration—but that means they’re ripe for creativity, and designers certainly take notice. Gustavo da Mata, who’s behind Brazilian design studio Estúdio Capim, has created a concept called “ÓST,” a series of geometric candles with flutes, half-circles, and trapezoids that merge the arcane and the contemporary.
Óst in Portuguese means “host,” speaking to the use of candles for hospitality and also, perhaps, a nod to the word’s alternate meaning as a vessel holding a spirit. Evoking a cross between mid-20th-century computer controls and esoteric motifs like eyes and stars, the chunky, ephemeral decor strikes a past-meets-present note.
See more of de Mata’s designs on Behance and Estúdio Capim’s website.
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