Whirl – The New Collection From Mash Studios
Mash Studios’ new collection, Whirl, brings together five handmade works by Jiordan Tolli – shaped by childhood memories of fairy gardens, layered fabrics, movement and nostalgia.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos STEPHANIE CAMMARANO
Jiordan Tolli is the artist, mum of two, and hands behind Mash Studios.
The Sway pendant light is a suspended sculptural pendant that celebrates movement through its layered fringe and form.
The Bloom pendant light is a sculptural pendant that anchors a space with softness and scale, made from paper, plaster, steel suspension cord and optional semi-sheer fabric cord sleeve.
Whirl comprises five sculptural lighting works by Mash Studios: Bloom+, Mushy, Sprout, Veil and Sway.
Mash Studios works primarily with paper and plaster, humble materials chosen for their tactility and expressive potential.
“With Whirl, I wanted to explore something more fluid – objects that can shift with you, change how a space feels, and create new moments depending on where they live.”
The Sprout table lamp is a compact sculptural lamp designed for intimate spaces and softer light moments.
Australian artist and designer Jiordan Tolli presents Whirl, a new collection for Mash Studios that moves beyond the studio’s earlier pendant pieces into table, floor and suspended sculptural forms.
Made by hand in Melbourne, the collection is made up of five works — Bloom+, Mushy, Sprout, Veil and Sway — each informed by Jiordan’s exploration of movement, material and memory. Paper, plaster, steel and fringe are used to create forms that sit between functional lighting and sculptural object.
‘With my previous work, I focused on pendant lighting and the idea of creating fixed objects that become part of a space forever,’ says Jiordan. ‘With Whirl, I wanted to explore something more fluid. Objects that can shift with you, change how a space feels, and create new moments depending on where they live.’
Whirl continues Mash Studios’ use of paper and plaster, with Australian-made steel introduced through a new collaboration with KM Tubular. Semi-sheer fabric cord sleeves and cascading fringe add texture and movement, changing the way the pieces are experienced as light passes through them.
‘I’ve always been drawn to paper because it’s such a simple, humble material,’ says Jiordan. ‘Most people don’t expect much from it, and I love challenging that, transforming something so familiar into something that feels unexpected and precious.’
The collection draws on childhood memory and nostalgia, including fairy gardens, dress-ups, layered fabrics and the decorative details found throughout family homes. A pink lamp beside Jiordan’s grandmother’s bed became one of its most personal references.
‘My nonna had this pink lamp beside her bed with beaded fringe all around it,’ she shares. ‘I used to sit there as a child, gently running my fingers through it and placing my tiny fairies underneath. It felt so precious to me. That sense of wonder has stayed with me ever since.’
The influence is most visible in Veil and Sway, where long layers of fringe bring movement to the light. Mushy and Sprout take on rounded, playful forms, while Bloom+ revisits the pendant through an oversized paper and plaster structure.
The title Whirl also refers to the pace of Jiordan’s life as a mother of two, with time in the studio often found in fragments between early mornings, nap times and late evenings.
‘Life is a blissful, chaotic mess,’ she says. ‘I don’t think our homes need to hide that. They should celebrate it. They should feel playful, personal and full of pieces that make us smile every time we walk past them.’
Whirl is now available – each piece is made to order in Melbourne.
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