Mash.T’s New Lighting Range is Here: Meet “Brazzo”

We love the idea of serendipity – a happy outcome that’s entirely brought about by chance. That’s exactly how we’d describe the story behind Brazzo, the latest range from Mash.T.

It all started with a little bit of playfulness. Creative Director, Thabisa Mjo, found some brass sheets lying around the factory. She then thought it would be fun to create quirky little lights resembling characters out of this material. “I was intrigued by the innate contrast between the irreverent design and the sophisticated substance. A juxtaposition I felt was offbeat enough for the lights to have a bit of a sense of humour,” Thabisa says.

“We started off trying to build these little figurines by placing the metal moulds – or as we call them, dies – together in a kind of puzzle. And, just like a jigsaw puzzle, the brass spinnings are able to come apart. The process was really one of trial and error, trying one piece against the other, until we eventually arrived at the shape of each light.”

That’s one of the reasons this collection is so unique. In addition, the material used in Brazzo is also quite remarkable. Brass sheets can be difficult to work with because they harden very quickly. Because of this, they must be cooled during the spinning process. This ensures that any internal stresses are removed and the sheets become tougher.

Then, because the aim was to give each light a satin-smooth finish, the team put each sheet through up to four grinding processes to bring out the mirror finish. Then a polishing machine was used to create that satin look. To make sure that the brass maintains a beautiful finish and avoids tarnishing, it was completed by adding a layer of specialised clear lacquer as the finishing touch.

Thabisa’s Favourites

Thabisa’s personal favourites are the ‘Mesh table lamp’ and ‘Mon pendant’ pieces in this range. This is possibly because they encapsulate the spirit of serendipity so perfectly. In each of these pieces, the brass is complemented with a black mesh steel component. Although added out of necessity, this has given these lights a more edgy look.

“Just like the collection, the idea for the mesh steel was born out of experimentation: although we initially thought we would augment these lights with perforated brass, we found that it wasn’t strong enough to maintain the beautiful round form we were aiming for. We tried mesh steel instead, and found that it worked far better than perforated brass,” says Thabisa.

“As a maker, I am often thrilled and delighted when things turn out this way: it shows me that you can’t always plan things. Sometimes, you have to let them develop in their own way – and often, when they do, they turn out so much better than you could have designed. And what could be more serendipitous than that!”

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