The living world of John Pomp

With an attentive eye for beauty and an unwavering discipline for craft, John Pomp has spent over 20 years perfecting the art of making glass. creates contemporary, handcrafted furniture and lighting pieces inspired by the natural beauty of the living world. The intertwining of the four classical elements—fire, water, earth and air—is a constant source of inspiration to the design and philosophies of John Pomp. Be it a ripple on the ocean or the swelling of a bubble, his sculptural pieces mimic the wondrous geometry that exists, often unnoticed, in the natural world.

“The forms we create are manifestations of the living world around us.”

The aesthetic origins of John Pomp’s designs are probably best understood through the collections of ephemera and objects that fill his studio. Ranging from natural keepsakes gathered on surfing trips—like feathers, fossils, crystals and bark—to glass offcuts, metal shavings and other “process residue,” these sources of inspiration speak to the wabi-sabi philosophy that Pomp wholeheartedly embraces in his work. Among the Japanese bowls, Scandinavian pottery, and rusted vintage measuring tools, the trove of curios also includes the first piece of glass Pomp ever made. Taken together, these objects highlight the raw beauty of natural materials and inspire the design of each creation.

Located in the heart of Fishtown, Philadelphia’s vibrant artistic and creative community, John Pomp Studios has grown from a small team consisting of John, his wife Anne, and one full-time employee, into a cornerstone of the neighborhood, with a full-time staff of over forty working craftsman and artists.
John Pomp Studios at North Mascher Street operates as four material disciplines under one roof, with artisans devoted to glass, metal, wood and leather. Dedicated to the utmost standards of quality, each piece is produced completely by hand in the studio—even a lot of the equipment and tools used are custom-designed and built.