Welcome to the Era of Wonderfully Weird Candle Art

Every year it seems like candles find a new form that appeals to the masses. While 2019 was all about unscented candles molded into blobby (and body) shapes, 2020 called for the return of the celebrity candle as the ultimate scent escapism. There’s no turning back as we all continue to adapt to the “new normal,” so why shouldn’t our wax spark more joy too? The gradual increase of interest in “nowstalgia”—as we like to refer to it—has meant tapping into trends that are fun, whimsical, and out-of-the-box weird.

Artists like Janie Korn, Risa Makabe, Hannah Jewett, Altra Object, Piera Bochner, Nata, and Studio Sukoon have been taking a different approach to candles that falls into a subcategory of its own. This form of candle craftsmanship is a delightful combination of sculpture and animation—a functional object that quite literally waxes poetic with a humorous twist. Lolo founder and owner Lauren Williams Russett has been following this trend since she opened her New York shop in 2019. At the time, she found that the artisanal candles paired nicely with the ceramics, but “wax carries more personality than other mediums,” especially when painted by hand. She adds, “Many artists have been working in this medium for a while, but it’s easy to see that they are selling well right now, so more and more people are experimenting and creating new ways to turn wax into a sellable sculpture.”

The channeling of an emotional connection is exactly what Lauren looks for in an object and is something she’s certain her customers appreciate too. “People are working more from home now and appreciating the little joys that live on their shelves,” she says. “Each candle feels like a little creature that exists to bring delight.”

Lately, Janie Korn has been noticing more artists incorporating candlemaking into their practice. She believes that the exploration of this medium is a natural progression because it grows out of sculpture. It was in the midst of transitioning from stop motion to stagnant sculpture that Janie began to feel restricted by the permanence of her ceramics work. She wanted to make art that was useful but didn’t have to last forever or occupy too much space. Candles filled that void.

“I think what’s so special about candle art is that there’s this extra spirit to it,” Janie says. “It’s hard for me to move backwards to permanent sculpture because the wax, the flame, and that potential destruction is so integral to my work.”

Risa Makabe suggests that the newfound appeal of candles for artists comes from a strong awareness of the fact that they are objects used in daily life. “It’s not candles, but in Japan, there is a boom in the creation of three-dimensional works by artists who used to create only two-dimensional works,” Risa says. “I believe that the number of artists who lose their preconceived notions about materials and use them will increase.”

The origins of Olga Goose Candle trace back to 2010 while Risa was studying oil painting at Tama Art University in Tokyo. At the time she had no experience with making three-dimensional objects, but didn’t object when an older friend beckoned her to start making handmade candles from scratch. Risa’s five-step process consists of making a prototype, pouring it into a mold, creating the parts, drawing the facial expressions, and then coating it with wax. If the mold has been pre-made, this only takes her between one and two hours to complete.

Janie Korn is also self-taught and follows a similar sculpting process, noting that it can take her anywhere from an hour to a few weeks to complete a candle depending on how obsessive she is about the design. (The collection of candles that she made last summer for “Goodnight House” at Fort Makers took about a month.) The cycle of cooling, heating, and building begins with setting the wick in the mold, tempering the wax, building and carving it down, and then mixing paint pigments.

Risa often finds inspiration for Olga Goose candle characters from old figurines and graphics. She notes that “there are also hints everywhere, such as plants I’ve found, impressive walls I’ve seen in movies, bread I’ve been served, regrets, and irresistible events of the moment.” While she doesn’t actively seek out collaborations, Risa has teamed up with other artists including Esther Kim, Stefan Marx, Pztoday, and Nieves in the past. “I’d rather create my own designs from scratch than recreate someone else’s world,” she says.

You might be thinking that all of these candles are way too cute to possibly burn, but their creators affirm that there’s no need to resist the temptation. In fact, they want you to set fire to the wick. Lauren of Lolo notes that “there is something extra precious about them” because “there’s always the possibility that one day you’ll just decide to burn it, and when it burns, it is unpredictable and becomes something totally new.” As she explains, “The way the wax drips will be different from one candle to the next. Watching a sculptural candle melt and drip over the course of dinner is oddly entertaining.”

Janie once received a DM on Instagram from a woman asking for permission to burn a candle of herself from an ex-boyfriend following their breakup as a symbolic ritual for a ceremony. “That to me is the exact perfect way somebody should do it, but at the same time if you’re tempted to burn the candle, burn it—it’s no longer my possession,” she says. “It can mean to each person what they want; if it’s destruction, if it’s ceremony, if it’s birthing a new you. I want there to be extra meaning to it that a sculpture really wouldn’t have.”

Risa views her candles as a ritual tool, and each product has a specific message. (For example, the message on the Pink Cats candle is “When you want to get in a good mood.”) She highly encourages customers to choose how they use them according to the purpose of the ritual. “When we actually do witchcraft, we use candles in the shape of a person or a cat,” Risa says. “It’s the same thing. I want you to use them when you do rituals. You don’t have to force yourself to use them daily.”

In creating a relationship with it, Janie has been meditating on how to make objects more interactive and increase their value through the experiential. Back in June, she collaborated with the perfumer Marissa Zappas on her first scented candle, Bodega Flowers. Janie really likes the idea of people thinking actively about their possessions and what they’re touching.

“A tablescape is very important now so I’m thinking about making candles that are less precious and more burnable, and then building more of a spectrum,” Janie says. “There’s purposeful ‘you burn them with intention’ candles and then other ones that are still special, but intended to be burned. I wanted to keep some of that intentionality with my other candles, but integrating more of this invitation with it.”

Janie Korn In Flagrante Delito Taper Candle

$65 at Janie Korn

Olga Goose Candle Pink Cats Candle Set

$60 at SSENSE

Hannah Jewett Grey Ember Candle

$85 $72 at SSENSE

Piera Bochner Bitter Melon Single-Wick Candle

$70 at Farfetch

Altra Object Pear Candle in Mint

$35 at Yowie