Melbourne couple Nicolas Caris and Samantha Seary are applying their fresh, fun aesthetic to the traditional art of leadlighting, with panels inspired by hip-hop album covers and vintage Playboy magazines. 

How did you get started? Sam: We’re both fairly creative but most of our hobbies tend to be solo activities, so we wanted to learn something new that we could do together. Having always been interested in leadlight and stained-glass windows, we learned some skills in a one-day leadlighting course in July last year, and have been creating pieces ever since.

Tell us about the inspiration behind some of the pieces you’ve made. Sam: Most of the time we try to have a bit of fun with it and make pieces that differ from the traditional style and designs of leadlight windows. So far, we have taken inspiration from my obsession with gold chains, household plants, and magazine and album covers. We’ve also made custom panels for a few orders we have received.

What sort of magazine and album covers have you worked from? Nick: A 1965 Playboy magazine cover was the inspiration for one window Sam made, while I re-created Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell album cover from 1994 and Eric B & Rakim’s Paid in Full album cover from 1987. Music is a big inspiration for me, as I’ve been DJing for 15 years (as Nikk-C) and have always admired album art.

What responses have you had from people so far? Sam: The response has been wonderful! We are so stoked with all the positive feedback we’ve received, and feel really lucky that people are enjoying what we are doing. There seems to be a lot of people (like us) who appreciate craft that is unique, custom-made and a bit different.

What size are the windows you make usually, and how long does each one typically take to make? Sam: While we have made a few small A4-size pieces, we prefer to make larger panels to fit in as much detail as possible. The largest has been about 60cm wide. Depending on the size and detail, each one usually takes about 20 to 30 hours to make – it’s quite a process! Like many people, we currently rent our home, so we make panels people can hang or position near the windows of their rental. Also, these pieces last forever, so when you finally buy your own place you can just install those babies!

Can you tell us about the difference between leadlighting and stained glass? Nick: It’s very easy to get the two confused. Stained glass is essentially the same process as leadlighting, but the glass has had designs painted on it and then been glazed. Stained glass is what you typically see in churches and cathedrals. We would love to be able to create work with this kind of detail in the future.

What are you working on next? Sam: My current work-in-progress is inspired by vintage Cartier jewellery advertisements. This means a whole lot of leopard and a whole lot of gold! Nick: I used to work for the railway in Brisbane and have a soft spot for trains, so I’m working with an aerosol art theme and making a design of one of my favourite train units.

How can people get in touch with you to find out more? Sam: Find us on Instagram.