repurposed wax takes on brighter life as modular light tower and sculptures

Modular lighting sculptures use repurposed wax

Copenhagen-based studio Daydreaming Objects turns repurposed wax into modular light tower and sculptures named Soft Solids. A series with several lighting pieces, the objects are modular structures built from wax units, each shaped by hand. One of them is named Stem, which displays a stack of cylindrical wax units that can be removed and moved, depending on where the owner plans to place it. Light shines through the semi-translucent wax layers, giving a glimpse of its internal texture, which is made of a plant-based material blend.

There’s another collection called Scoop, a family of small, round-like lighting sculptures. Here, the repurposed wax is shaped and mixed with different plant fibers in varying proportions to create distinct surface patterns once the wax sets. Each Scoop light contains a small LED system inside, which illuminates the wax from within and reveals the pattern of the fibers. All the light sculptures in the Soft Solids series use LED systems because they don’t produce strong heat that can deform or melt the repurposed wax. The lighting components are placed in metal or glass housings from the older luminaires, and they protect the electronics and direct the light into the wax volume.

all images courtesy of Daydreaming Objects | all photos by Norbert Tukaj

Soft solids lighting can be reshaped many times

Because wax is renewable and can be reshaped many times, Soft Solids by Daydreaming Objects looks at how natural materials can support circular design. The creation, led by the studio founders, lighting designer Ruta Palionyte and architect Ieva Baranauskaite, involves local craftspeople in the process, who assist with casting, finishing, and assembling the components. 

It is because the studio’s research focus is on how natural materials can be used again through new design methods. The project began with a basic question: how can wax be reused through upcycling, and how can it support new lighting designs? The team, then, developed a set of organic wax blends mixed with plant-based materials. The surface of each blend receives a protective natural layer to increase the strength and heat resistance, as well as support the even diffusion of LED light. 

Copenhagen-based studio Daydreaming Objects turns repurposed wax into modular light sculptures

studio Daydreaming Objects recycling old lighting pieces

The blends also make it possible to cast wax into many shapes without breaking or melting during everyday use. The light sculptures made of repurposed wax in the project are formed in two parts: the wax volume and the reused hardware. The hardware comes from old lighting pieces from Sweden, Italy, and former Czechoslovakia, including the mid-20th-century metal and glass components. 

The team pairs them with newly cast wax volumes, so in this way, the project combines old elements with new ones, showing how existing materials can be reused through updated design. So far, Daydreaming Objects studio won the recent Seoul Design Award 2025 for their Soft Solids work, demonstrating the potential of repurposed wax as a building material for lighting sculptures.

named Soft Solids, it is a series with several lighting pieces with modular structures

each design contains a small LED system inside

LED is used to avoid deforming or melting the wax

view when the lights are off

Soft Solids looks at how natural materials can support circular design

view of Stem, which displays a stack of cylindrical wax units that can be removed and moved

detailed view of Stem

project info:

name: Soft Solids Lighting

studio: Daydreaming Objects | @daydreaming_objects

photographer: Norbert Tukaj | @norberttukaj

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