"Watiya Juta" is the name of the Australian species of the Acacia tree. Aboriginal peoples have used the design motif – the inspiration for this chandelier - for thousands of years as a symbol for this tree. The Acacia has been their source of wood used for spear shafts.
As an abstract symbol, it has deep spiritual meaning for Aboriginal Australians. Here it becomes a sculpted, organic form put to use as a light fixture. Despite the many miles and millennia that separate our cultures, what survives is its power to evoke deeper emotions in us – to stir feelings of our connection to nature and remind us of our common humanity.
A special coloration for the carved Sapele wood was developed for this piece – “Mother Earth Green.” It’s either greenish-brown or brownish-green, depending on how the light strikes it.