Inspired by the familiarity of everyday meals, the Egglow series by Nayoun Ryu explores the intersection of food and material experimentation. Common in Korean cuisine, eggs serve not only as nourishment but also as a conceptual and material foundation for the work.

The designer uses real eggshells as both structure and diffuser in the lighting fixtures. Each shell is carefully emptied, sanitized, sun-dried, and reinforced with a mixture of water and glue to enhance durability and prevent cracking. This process allows the fragile shells to be integrated into pendant lamps and wall sconces, where they house yolk-colored bulbs that echo the soft glow of an egg at breakfast.

Working with natural eggshells posed several challenges, including material fragility and an egg shortage in New York due to avian influenza (April 2025). These limitations prompted a more thoughtful and intentional approach to sourcing and crafting.

When illuminated, the eggshells emit a warmth that evokes the tenderness of hatching or incubation—a quiet visual metaphor for life and intimacy. The Egglow series blurs the boundaries between the poetic and the practical, inviting viewers to experience light through a lens of familiarity, memory, and gentle humor.