Jan Garncarek

Babalu

BABALU’s massive, vertical form evokes the abstract silhouette of a human head, serving as a symbol of the primal connection between humanity and nature. The piece functions like a contemporary talisman - silent, rooted in matter. The design draws on ancient beliefs in the power of natural forms. In Slavic tradition, stones found in fields, known as “Stone Babas,” were regarded as sacred, emerging from the earth with its constant movement. They were cared for and honoured through ritual, believed to influence the fertility of the soil and ensure a rich harvest. This sconce pays tribute to that enduring dialogue between nature and human imagination. Carved entirely from travertino rosso, this piece prevails in the space it appears in.

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    Jan Garncarek

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    Jan Garncarek

    Artist

    Jan Garncarek

    Born in Warsaw in 1988, Jan Garncarek holds a master's degree in Design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He also studied at the Politecnico di Milano, where he attended the classes of Michele De Lucchi and Andrea Branzi. After working at Towarzystwo Projektowe, a Warsaw industrial design studio, he founded his own studio in 2017. His work has been shown at Paris Design Week and Art Basel, and is represented by selected galleries in Europe and the United States.

    His practice sits between design and sculpture. Monumental, spherical forms are set against finer, more delicate details, and every piece is made by hand in short series, using precious materials and avoiding industrial production. Two concerns run through the work: preserving the memory of pre-war Warsaw, whose culture once rivalled that of Europe's great capitals, and looking for ideas in fields beyond design, from literature and anthropology to sociology and psychology. His grandfather, a maker of traditional small goods, remains a lasting influence.

    Between inheritance and invention, Garncarek makes objects meant to carry the weight and seriousness of the fine arts into everyday life.