Lighting by Jess Wainer
Jess Wainer
Jess Wainer

Jess Wainer

Oakland, CA

"Collaboratively conceived, fully custom illuminated sculptures and lighting for homes."
Q&A

What is your favorite material to work with?

"My favorite material is glass."
-- Jess Wainer
Q&A

What do you want people to do or feel when they encounter your creations?

"I want people to do or feel whatever they want as they encounter my work."
-- Jess Wainer
Q&A

What motivates and inspires you?

"My first thought is to tell you about how important travel is to me. Being away from home is the time when I feel most alive and most myself. Not because of the delight of swimming in warm caribbean waters, or sipping cappuccino in some small town in Portgual but because of the people I connect with while on the road. Engaging with people deeply is at the heart of my work and is my quest in life."
-- Jess Wainer
Q&A

What makes a space special?

"Natural light makes all spaces special."
-- Jess Wainer
Q&A

What’s unique about your work?

"The most unique part of my work is my process. I work directly with home owners to collaboratively design and create fully custom lighting and illuminated sculptures for their homes. I employ a breadth of user research methodologies to get at the heart of my client's aesthetic preferences, dreams, and visions. Developing relationships with the people I work with bring richness and meaning to my work and to their home spaces."
-- Jess Wainer
Q&A

How do your pieces come to life? Tell us one interesting thing about your creative process?

"When I first engage with a new site I conduct something called a discovery phase. In this time, which can last for up to a month, I explore the space without thinking of a specific lighting design. I observe natural light interacting with the architecture, take photos, make drawings, and experience the space. Vision boards, collages, and journal entries are often the outcome of this phase."
-- Jess Wainer
Q&A

What funny moments, unexpected surprises, or obstacles have you encountered?

"Being the bridge between electricians, metal workers, contractors, other fabricators and my clients can pose lots of challenges. Learning and then communicating about technical constraints and considerations is a part of my work that becomes more and more important as the work evolves in scale and complexity. This learning process is a growing pain and gift as it broadens my skill base and enables me to do more creative collaboration in the studio."
-- Jess Wainer
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