Nothing has to remain as it was given.
Yaki begins with transformation. Fire changes wood, light changes metal, and the object changes the room around it. Our work explores the tension between material, light and space, creating objects with a presence of their own.
Change, held in material.
Fire removes the familiar surface of wood and reveals another state beneath it. Copper gathers and returns light. Together, the materials make transformation visible, not as an abstract idea, but as a physical presence in the room.
Design for a lifetime
To make each detail flawless, we take three weeks to create one piece and craft only few pieces a month. We create our designs in our tiny workshop in Estonia.
Each piece of wood is chosen by us and burned using natural fire, without any artificial methods.
We put obsessive care and attention into each piece, ensuring collectible design object for a lifetime
Burnt Wood
Each Yaki object begins with regionally sourced wood, charred by hand in real fire. Charring removes the familiar surface and reveals a texture that cannot be repeated. The material carries the visible record of its transformation. The process draws from the Japanese tradition of yakisugi, interpreted through Yaki's own sculptural language.
Raw Copper
Where charred wood absorbs light, copper returns it. Its warm reflective surface introduces movement and depth, allowing the object to change with the room and the hour. Over time, its tone may deepen subtly without losing its character.
Duality
Charred wood absorbs light. Copper returns it. One surface is quiet and matte, the other warm and reflective. The tension between them forms the material language of Yaki.
Behind Yaki
Founded by Risto and Sander, Yaki is an independent design studio working at the intersection of collectible design, light sculpture and material art.
Yaki's first prototype.
Born out of curiosity
Yaki began with an experiment in how raw copper could shape light. The search for a material with equal presence led to charred wood, and the first object established the language the studio continues to develop: fire, metal and light held in deliberate tension.
Brought to life by friendship
When he showed the first design to his best friend Sander one day, just for fun, the seed was planted not to leave the concept in a drawer. Risto began refining the design of the lamp, and Sander started building a website.
A room, changed
When Yaki is lit, it does not simply add light. It shifts the room from one state to another - changing its rhythm, focus and atmosphere. The act of switching it on becomes a deliberate choice about how the next moment should feel.
"Yaki creates an atmosphere that allows to flow into the cosmos of thoughts"
Producer - @thundion
