William Brand on...

ON FREEDOM
Freedom matters most for me, it always has, even before I was aware of it. I work in a free and uninhibited manner; I 'dip my brush into the paint' and start. Impulsively, I let things happen on the sheet, off the page and under my hands. Sure, there is a concept in my head that guides me along, but only whilst working, I turn thoughts into reality and shapes emerge. Things simply happen along the way.

I surely enjoy the freedom we created together over the past few years, and this has to do with success. Yes, we were free before we had this success, but the current situation allows us to continue to work in whatever direction we like. There is obviously a space for our work, so we need not worry about prospective clients. I like the life we lead today and the only 'tie' I feel strongly about in my professional life, is the responsibility towards our team, the people we work with.

ON GROWING
Growing is important too, both in terms of exploring new avenues, as well as in real terms. I surely get a kick out of seeing crates with chandeliers ready for shipment to Taiwan, Russia, New York and other places around the globe. The idea that we 'ignite' all these places all over the world is surely very rewarding and humbling at the same time.

ON MIND TRAVELLING
I see myself as a constant traveller, a mind traveller without a destination. I have no big preset plan, the journey itself is as important as the end goal; in fact every stop along the way is one in its own right. I look around, I explore, I soak up the ambience and unleash that when I work, whether it is designing lighting objects, furniture, decorations or architecture.

ON ARCHITECTURE AND SPACE
Yes, to be true, architecture remains my first love. Being part of a space is quite different to holding an object in your hands. One is admiration, the other one is a physical experience. Architecture remains for me an escape in which I truly find myself, space is always magic. Working in and with a particular space allows you to pace yourself, there are elements you best leave alone and other elements you might use to excel. You always work with something bigger than yourself.

Architecture is like baking a cake and making the icing too. Our lighting range for example is one line of icings. They all excel, none is neutral and they are omnipresent in any room. Some designers create objects that are part of a space, we do not. Nothing we make is ever neutral.

Annet van Egmond

We are often asked where our passion for light and sculptures comes from, how it developed and how we reached our present position.

To be honest, we ask ourselves the last question every day too. Perhaps it was through our love for the craft, our enthusiasm and the desire to discover new things. Comparable with an archaeologist who is excavating and not knowing what he will find. When it comes to answering the first question, the birth of our passion for lighting sculptures, our time at art college was very important. I sometimes compare that period to 'the Big Bang', the original explosion that created the universe. At college, it was possible to experiment. We learnt to weld for the first time and we made our prototypes and sculptures separately. We photographed and made sketches and drawings. We saw something magical in these unfamiliar things. It was an exciting, chaotic brew of discoveries, and at that time we did not know where they would lead. That only became clear later.

1989 saw the birth of our first lighting sculpture, called Chandelier. It was born out of masses of sketches of gourds. For the first time we raised a sculpture from the floor to the ceiling. And so, unintentionally, we created our first lighting sculpture. We initially thought this was a one-off project, but we gradually realised that light and sculpture could be interwoven to create a whole new experience.

Our first commissions made us very happy. We learnt a lot from the designers and clients we worked with, but we remained freelance. Despite the unremitting labour, the many long days and welding fumes, this was the approach that made us happiest. In that period we did not want our concentration to be interrupted so we worked on our own. At first we peddled our collection to manufacturers, but they simply were not interested. We did not want to lose any time so for the first eight years we made everything ourselves, just the two of us. In the end we realised that our independence gave us the unique opportunity to continue creating autonomously.

I think our passion originates from the endeavour to make each year's collection better than the last, and of even more enduring quality. The urge to develop and grow is a significant driving force. You have to keep improving yourself. We have now already celebrated our twentieth anniversary, but we still experience every day as the start of a new journey.

History

William Brand (1963) and Annet van Egmond (1964) graduated at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Utrecht the Netherlands, where he was trained as an architect and she as a sculptor. They have been working as independent product designers for 20 years.

William and Annet founded BRAND VAN EGMOND in 1989 with the sole intention to create art without restraints. Two pioneer artists with a big passion for the objects who brought the sculptures from the ground to the ceiling. This design studio led by hands has become an international trendsetter in creating innovative, independent designs. The handcrafted lighting sculptures radiate passion and emotion and leave a long-lasting impression.

BRAND VAN EGMOND obtained international fame 20 years ago with their first lighting sculpture 'Chandelier' that became an instant icon.

William and Annet both are responsible for the concept, design and art-direction of the brand. The collection includes several series of lightings sculptures as well as 'Haute Couture' pieces, especially designed for individual clients.

Their designs are being published in worldwide leading magazines. The products leave from Naarden to shine all over the world, from Shanghai to New York. Their several workshops enable them to create the most special big custom objects. Many considerable international companies such as Chopard, Four Seasons, Hilton and Neuhaus use their lighting sculptures in their establishments. Many pop stars and movie stars as well as royals, all handled in a discreet way, are told to be among their customers.

Every year BRAND VAN EGMOND launches new collections of handcrafted lighting sculptures in freedom with fun and passion in MILAN.

In 2004 the Hollywood series shed its light over the 76th Academy Awards presentation in the USA.

In 2006 Patricia Urquiola selected Flower Power for the Design Yearbook of 2007.

In 2008 the Dutch Government selected Night Watch chandeliers to decorate the VIP Lounge of the Dutch pavilion at the World Expo 2008 in Zaragoza.

In 2010 their first book 'Lighting Sculptures' is available at all major bookstores worldwide, including the MOMA bookstore in New York. This very personal album provides a special insight into their methods, sources of inspiration, driving forces in their work and their passions. From the old days till now. This book was launched in Amsterdam, New York and Milan to celebrate BRAND VAN EGMOND's 20th anniversary.