karim+elias give desert sand new form with luminous wall lamps and sculptural vases

karim+elias’ desert drop series evokes layers of the landscape

Continuing their tactile, layered exploration of rammed earth as both medium and message, Karim+Elias present two new works in their ongoing Desert Drop series. The set of wall-mounted lamps and sculptural stem vases were unveiled at the inaugural edition of Downtown Design Riyadh, extending the design duo’s pursuit of reviving and evolving the ancient construction techniques through contemporary design.

The lamps combine sedimentary earth with hand-blown glass, forming softly lit wall pieces that glow from within, while the vessels, grounded in form and tone, integrate a glass chamber for floral stems. Echoing the organic silhouettes and striated surfaces of their earlier coffee table — debuted at Dubai’s last Downtown Design — the new works treat sand as a narrative material intertwined with regional history and identity. In doing so, the designers honor ancient craft traditions while giving them new expression in functional, collectible objects that evoke the beauty of the region’s natural landscape.

all images by Elias El Hage

From desert strata to luminous forms and earthen vessels

Known for their layered, striated objects made from compressed sand, clay, and natural pigments, the Dubai-based designers take a deeply material-led approach that treats sand as a medium with layered narrative and historical weight. Their previous public interventions and architectural experiments have brought the traditional logic of rammed earth into contemporary contexts, developing totemic installations, thin-wall sand skins, modular screens, and hybrid pieces that occupy the space between sculpture and architecture. With Desert Drop, Karim+Elias continue this trajectory on a smaller scale, bringing desert tactility into the home through collectible objects.

The Desert Drop Wall Lamps, handcrafted entirely from earthen materials and naturally pigmented layers, combine two synonymous materials — sand and glass — into a single form. A hand-blown glass shade recesses into the rammed earth body of each lamp, housing a soft bulb with dimming features for ambient lighting. The tactile surfaces echo sedimentary layers, while the use of glass, itself derived from sand, closes the loop between natural material and refined object. The layering of tones and textures creates a geological rhythm, turning each lamp into a luminous fragment of landscape. Each of the Desert Drop Stem Vases also evokes the undulations of sand dunes and is made using the same layered rammed earth process. The grounded vases are designed to hold small floral arrangements, featuring a slender removable glass chamber nested inside for fresh water and flowers.

Karim+Elias continue their Desert Drop series

the wall-mounted lamps and sculptural stem vases were unveiled at the inaugural edition of Downtown Design Riyadh

extending the duo’s pursuit of reviving and evolving the ancient construction techniques through contemporary design

the works evoke layers of the landscape

the studio treats sand as a narrative material intertwined with regional history and identity

the vessels integrate a glass chamber for floral stems

designed to hold small floral arrangements

the lamps combine sedimentary earth with hand-blown glass

a hand-blown glass shade recesses into the rammed earth body of each lamp, housing a soft bulb

bringing organic desert tactility into the home through collectible objects

project info: 

name: Desert Drop Stem Vases and Wall Lamps

designer: Karim+Elias | @karimandelias

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