Meet Patrick Coard, the Danish-Irish designer who can turn candle to art

Captivating from wick to wax, the candle sculptures of Patrick Coard light up and give life to spaces

Paris-based designer Patrick Coard, who owes much of his talent to his Danish-Irish roots, can turn any candle into art. Throughout his career, Coard has always been drawn to creative projects, including telling stories through sculpture.

Coard has long been fascinated with candles and describes them as very sensual and unpredictable. They have the potential to produce a mood, a warmth and an ambience that can change a place’s atmosphere.

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One of the designer’s most notable collections is his first, Great Expectations, which explores the “unlimited range” of where candles can be taken and how each morphs into a brand-new art form depending on the space it consumes. “I have always been drawn to different creative disciplines throughout my career.

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I have never boxed myself in one field. It has always been an organic process that is not overthought but stems from a deep feeling,” Coard tells Tatler.

The creative adds that he has always loved designing something “from the ground up”, He also enjoys creating pieces that “did not exist before’’, a philosophy he applied to his sought-after works like the sculptural shagreen-textured candles. “It was a simple process to explore,” he says. “Feel and redefine candles as they were seen.”

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Coard considers working with the Copenhagen School of Design a career highlight. “It was an incredible journey [in such a way that] my works redefined the campus and the way its students would be able to explore and enhance their respective creativity,” he explains.

For Coard, a good design is born from a desire to make art that adds meaning to one’s life. The artist also believes that a sound output comes from the heart. “Design and art are one; they need to speak to you. They should bring joy and energy when they find their home,” he shares. “Design comes from the psyche, from being inspired. It should also evoke an emotion.

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My first sculptural candles, for example, were inspired by a family tree, its characters and the dynamics between each member.” The designer reveals that he
employs varying approaches in his creative process. His style, evidently “sculptural”, always highlighted natural and organic shapes, which you almost cannot describe perfectly because of their unique form.

“There are so many different kinds of creative processes that I go through. In terms of designing, it can be from seeing the shape or angle created in the shadow of a dancer in motion—and then deconstructing that. It can also be from seeing at a distance how several paintings on a wall create a pattern on their own,” he discloses.

“Something I have realised over the years is there are never problems, only processes from where you can always learn something to achieve the best possible outcome,” he adds.

For homeowners who want to infuse sculptural objects into their homes, Coard advises that a good piece looks for triggers, feelings and emotions. “You should trust your instinct when it happens; it should find its home within you,” he stresses.

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Coard’s collection will boast massive, human-sized sculptures in the coming days. “I love to explore the scale and material, so the options are endless.” Having moved back to the Philippines, Coard says he is inspired to create and use different art mediums. He will soon develop an ethereal collection of floating sculptures made of the local sinamay fabric. “As of the moment, our home is my canvas.

The essence of every piece I am working on is that each one must have some strong affection or energy source,” he concludes.

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Jove Moya

Senior Feature Writer, Tatler Philippines

Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.

When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.

Meet Patrick Coard, the Danish-Irish designer who turns candles to art