A Dialogue Between Light and Wood
The Khong Lor Vase, designed by the author during his tenure as Artistic Director at Caruso Creations. Photo: private collection, Vientiane.
In the quiet workshops of Vientiane, where the scent of tropical hardwood fills the air, design and craftsmanship often meet halfway between intuition and discipline. During my years as Artistic Director at Caruso Creations, I came to see that dialogue is the true soul of Lao craft, a conversation between the material, the artisan, and the designer’s imagination.
Among the pieces born from that collaboration, the Khong Lor Vase stands out as one of the most revealing. Its form emerged from a simple yet powerful realization: the inner surfaces of a vessel could be as beautiful as its exterior. For years, I had watched international clients fall in love with the polished surfaces of Lao ebonies, their warm tones, and flowing veins. Yet the interiors, carved and sanded by hand, possessed an intimacy and depth that remained unseen.
The idea crystallised after a journey to Khong Lor Cave in Bolikhamsai Province, one of Laos’s most extraordinary natural landmarks. Entering its vast limestone passage, illuminated only by shafts of light reflected on the underground river, I felt surrounded by a living sculpture that was hollow, protective, and alive. The experience became the conceptual seed for a vessel that would invite viewers to look within rather than around.
Back in the workshop, transforming that idea into matter was not immediate. The artisans, masters of precision and tradition, were initially hesitant. The design called for a large circular opening that seemed to defy the usual solidity of a vase. I remember the skepticism and laughter when I presented the first sketch. Yet collaboration is the lifeblood of any creative practice. Through patient trials, we found a rhythm, the artisans adapting their tools and techniques, and I adjusting proportions to respect the limits of the wood. The final prototype emerged as a true meeting of minds, neither purely designed nor purely crafted, but co-authored in the fullest sense.
When the first finished vase stood on the worktable, I felt it carried a presence that was both sculptural and meditative. As I photographed it in the lush gardens outside the workshop, a long-time client, happened to visit. He saw the piece, paused, and immediately asked to purchase it as a gift for his wife. That spontaneous encounter became the vase’s quiet debut, long before it reached Caruso’s official catalogue.
Once introduced, the Khong Lor quickly resonated with collectors and visitors alike. Its smaller variation, later adapted as a candleholder, found a place in many homes as a symbol of stillness and reflection. More than its commercial success, what stayed with me was the quiet acceptance of the artisans, their realisation that innovation could live in harmony with heritage.
The Khong Lor Vase also marked a subtle shift in the company’s aesthetic language. It was the first design to integrate wood and glass, bringing transparency and air into a collection historically devoted to denser, tactile materials. The combination offered a new sense of lightness without abandoning the authenticity of local craftsmanship.
In retrospect, the Khong Lor encapsulates what I believe contemporary Lao design can achieve: an art that does not imitate the past or the nature but listens to them, and through that listening allows space, light, and imagination to shape something entirely new.