SHERYL ANG
Belle Âme
2017
Coping with death is a deeply personal and emotional process, with the death of a loved one naturally leaving most with feelings of loss and regret. With that, death is often characterized by mourning and the wistful reminiscence of memories. By exploring the non-conventional way in which shadows can be used as a basis for design, Belle AÌ‚me offers users a new perspective for coping with death.
Details
Rather than mourn over loss, I looked to re-defining the after-death chapter by leading users to celebrate life through the tradition of lighting a candle in memory.
When the user first lights the candle, the deceased’s year of birth appears as a shadow on the table surface. As the candle burns down, this shadow distorts and disappears, while the shadow depicting the year of death emerges within the product chamber. Over time, this shadow distorts and fades again before the candle burns down completely.
Timelapse demonstrating effect on prototype
Rendered images desmonstrating the shadow effect
Belle AÌ‚me memorializes the loved one’s life journey by drawing a link between the life cycle of the candle and that of the loved one. In doing so, the project advances a new perspective for remembering lost friends or family members – bringing the focus back to the celebration of life (or the beauty in having once lived).
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The design consists of 3 main components: outer structure/architecture, an internal cylinder with engravings and a candle. Its primary mechanism involves playing with the varying position of candle light and the resulting shadows created. Currently, it is a conceptual piece that has not been fully developed.
Process
Project Brief: In typography, we learn that the white of paper is as important as the black of the font. The white can give shape to the black. In architecture, we learn that space is more important than walls – the empty can give shape to the full. By putting a new focus on light and shadows, this project explored the possibility of using shadows to design a product in a non-conventional way. This involved questioning what an object could be if its shadow was first designed, and whether shadows can become an integral part of a product.
