ART & DESIGN
GARDEN OF SCULPTURAL DELIGHTS There are planters, and then there are the designs of Sirak.
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dam Sirak knows the power of plants. To him, they are living sculptures, full of vitality, with the potential to transform any room. “Nature, in all of its intelligence and infiniteness, has created these shapes that humans just can’t recreate,” Sirak says, citing sword ferns, commonly found at supermarkets and home improvement stores. But, scanning design magazines, the landscape designer noticed how few plants he saw that were placed indoors. Sirak reasoned that this phenomenon might be attributed to the dearth of planters that could hold their own in houses brimming with beautifully crafted furniture and commanding art. In response, through his eponymously named line, the designer developed a series of made-to-order vessels, suitable for indoor and outdoor environments. The six concrete-poured styles can be configured to varying heights and ornamented with bronze or brass fittings in several finishes. Colors are customizable too and range from alabaster, a gentle white, to ash, a deep and saturated gray. Functional elements like interior volume for soil and drainage ports can be modified to accommodate many kinds of plants. 30 PA S A D E N A
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Sirak’s modular planters at once telegraph the past and look to the future with ancient-seeming pattering combined with fresh-yet-classic proportions. As a result, the vessels feel at home in many contexts. The result of a five-year creative process, their expertly honed design is meant to stand the test of time. When asked about the aesthetic of the vessels, Sirak is philosophical: “What can be more modern than being eternal?” Sirak’s ability to create spaces and objects that vibrate with style is hardly surprising. Before hanging his shingle as a landscape designer, he worked in fashion, where he was surrounded by exquisite product displays and packaging. In that industry, Sirak gained an understanding of the creation of illusion and desire. He notes that while gardens may convey fantasy—perhaps evoking an enchanted place once visited, or a beloved space from childhood—they are very much real, and may even survive those who tend to them. With the new line of planters in his arsenal, Sirak has been busy cultivating an oasis for his clients during the pandemic. He says the people he works with often lead hectic lives and, “just need a place that feels ordered and offers respite.” From $1,400; sirak.com
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