Bennet Schlesinger, (b. 1987 Costa Mesa, CA), is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. In 2019, Schlesinger began making his lights in earnest, inspired by the natural elements of clay and paper, with a nod to famed 20th-century Japanese American designer Isamu Noguchi’s Akari lamps. His work has been collected and exhibited regionally and internationally.

Bennet Schlesinger’s light sculptures, lamps, and ceramics evoke alien-like landscapes by diffusing light through otherworldly shade-work that uses bamboo, translucent paper, and archival glue. In a similar fashion to decoupage, the textures of his ceramic vessels also create a breathtaking trompe l'oeil: Seemingly carved from solid stone, they are, in fact, light and delicate.

Bennet Schlesinger’s lamps achieve their balance by marrying a series of contrasting design elements. The airy top provides a delicate, translucent glow, while the crude ceramic base has a weightiness that tethers each piece in place. Emitting an expressively framed soft glow and grounded by an organic base, these light sculptures don’t distinguish between the two object categories. For Schlesinger, the mix is his sweet spot.