OLI — Incense Burner

Oli takes its name from olibanum, the aromatic resin from which frankincense is derived. Conceived as both an incense burner and a sculptural object, it explores transformation through a form that is at once familiar and ambiguous. Drawing on the sense of discovery found in the Fabergé egg and matryoshka doll, Oli begins as a single, softly tapered volume in wood and metal, suspended on a transparent resin stand.

To use it, the whole is taken apart: the metal shell becomes the incense bowl, while the wooden body opens to reveal an internal store for the sticks themselves. Each element assumes more than one role, weaving function into the ritual of use. At rest, Oli appears almost weightless; to burn incense, it must be dismantled and brought back down to the surface, a quiet metaphor for grounding, and for reconnecting with something elemental. Natural timber gives each piece its own grain and character, while metal provides a durable surface for burning and ash. Together, these materials turn the simple act of lighting incense into a small ritual of opening, grounding and renewal.