St. Polymére

In Saint Polymére collection, designer Jan Plecháč explores the contrast between industrial and handmade production. To what extent are these two worlds distant, or perhaps close? For the main structure, he used classic polystyrene, whose standardised size also influenced the size of the final products - it is based on acommonly available packet of polystyrene that can be bought for a few euro in anyhobby market. He hand sculpted the industrial cuts into two oblong shapes: round and square, which served as patterns for glass moulds. The irregular texture composed of millions of tiny bubbles provides a unique surface that looks different from each side. On closer inspection, the multitude of small polystyrene pieces is paradoxically close to a cellular micro-organism.

Saint Polymére collection was created during the lockdown when traveling was impossible and the world came to a complete standstill. Plecháč turned the situation into his advantage, working with available materials and using simple techniques that fit in with his long-term goal i.e. focusing on designing new collections, prototyping and creating limited editions in his eponymous design studio JAN PLECHÁČ. This approach builds on the experimental nature of his collections, which he previously created with Henry Wielgus for Křehký, La Chance and the Rossana Orlandi gallery. Plecháč applied the principle of polystyrene moulds to two types of pendant lights. The chandeliers echo the linearity of industrial plastic fluorescent lamps, while the transformation into fine sandblasted glass elevates their status from an ordinary industrial product to the level of a hand-crafted piece of art. In the future, Plecháč plans to gradually expand Saint Polymére collection and continue with structural experiments.