Artist upcycles plastic bottles into enchanting chandeliers

These elaborate <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/chandelier" rel="noopener" target="_blank">chandeliers</a> might look like they’re made from crystal at a distance—but take a closer look and you’ll see they’re actually crafted from recycled plastic bottles. Czech artist <a href="http://www.veronikarichterova.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Veronika Richterová</a> created these upcycled beauties as part of PET luminaries, a series of working lamps and chandeliers made from colorful PET.

These elaborate <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/chandelier" rel="noopener" target="_blank">chandeliers</a> might look like they’re made from crystal at a distance—but take a closer look and you’ll see they’re actually crafted from recycled plastic bottles. Czech artist <a href="http://www.veronikarichterova.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Veronika Richterová</a> created these upcycled beauties as part of PET luminaries, a series of working lamps and chandeliers made from colorful PET.

Colossal spotted the artist’s chandelier project and its current exhibition in Eden Unearthed at Sydney’s Eden Gardens that will run until February 2018.

Her creative light fixtures are intricately detailed—Richterová cuts and twists the bottles into the desired texture, shape, and patterns, but also preserves enough of the original bottle shape to provoke dialogue about recycling.

Richterová drew inspiration for her series from the way plastic bottles interact with light, and she works with bulbs and cables that give off minimal heat to protect the heat-sensitive sculptures.

PET luminaries by Veronika Richterová

PET luminaries by Veronika Richterová

PET luminaries by Veronika Richterová

PET luminaries by Veronika Richterová