Experimental lighting and furniture exploring fire as material and method
Max Wills is a U.S. based designer whose handmade objects, explore contemporary craft through experimental materials and processes, balancing tradition and innovation. Rather than designing objects directly, he creates the conditions for them to emerge. This process-driven approach gives rise to one-off and limited series pieces that reveal their own making, celebrating labor, structure, and material-honesty.
Pyre, a new collection of lighting and furniture, will be featured at Material Matters 2025. Building on his Gridwork series, the pieces are crafted from American Red Oak using interlocking, grid-based components. The collection explores the transformative power of fire - not just as a method of preservation, referencing the Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban, but also as a creative and finishing tool. It includes a modular floor lamp, a compact accent lamp, and a bench.