In the pages of Cuisine we often feature butchers and bakers, but not so often candlestick makers. So when Ceri Price’s sinuous creations caught our attention we were intrigued. Working in his garage in Auckland’s Point Chevalier, Ceri uses forging techniques, heating brass rods until malleable, winding them by hand to create spirals and curves whose delicacy belies the heat and power of the process. “It is all done by hand, which makes each one individual with its own imperfections, which I like,” says Ceri. It was an apprenticeship as a boatbuilder that set Ceri on the metalworking path, followed by a stint in a London workshop working on wrought-iron repairs for heritage-listed buildings.

Ceri made the first of these Medusa candle holders for a friend, who took it to work where it was snapped and Instagrammed by a colleague. From there luxury homewares brand Tessuti came calling to feature Ceri’s work alongside international brands such as Missoni and Laguiole cutlery as well as locals such as Rachel Carley Designs and Max Thomson. “People like that they’re visually interesting and something different,” Ceri says. “They want to touch them, then move them around to change the angle that they’re looking at them.”

Ceri switches to brushed stainless steel to make his hand-forged Theia vases, which combine organic forms with exposed welding in pieces that are also supremely tactile.

He sketches as shapes catch his attention, with inspiration coming from the irregular forms of trees, and he collects vintage art especially tapa cloth and its hand-carved printing boards whose patterns may well find their way into his work in future. For now, inspired by the historic wrought-iron work of his OE, Ceri has plans for copper-framed mirrors and sconces and larger pieces including side tables. You can buy Ceri’s work at Tessuti (tessuti.co.nz) and at the marketplace of Island magazine (islandisland.co.nz). instagram. com/ceri__price. TRACY WHITMEY