Hello. My name is Aoife Banville and I am a visual artist constantly working with light. From my background in photography to creating aerial light sculptures and bespoke chandeliers, I am interested in the poetic emotions of light. This project is a continuation of my love of exploring the way different materials mediate light.

After acquiring a sailor’s lifetime collection of nautical charts, I was struck by the aesthetic beauty of their design. My imagination was sparked by the exciting adventures and the exotic voyages that they represented. These charts have sailed all over the world, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, aiding the sailor to navigate the Seven Seas. Sometimes, you can even find handwritten navigational notes on the charts.

Determined to use these beautiful objects in some way I became enchanted by the quality of light they emanated. I decided to create a series of lamps out of them. Each chart is hand-crafted into a beautiful, completely original, one off lamp. They have become beautiful gifts of light encapsulated in a story of voyage.