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MAYHEM
By : Heart of (stained) glass
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN 19th edition
Discipline : Art & Photography
Categories : Art / Standalone Artwork
MAYHEM is a stained glass mirror made in the Tiffany method (using copper foil). It was commissioned by the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment corporation as part of their Artist Gifting Program and was offered to Lady Gaga when her tour stopped at the Scotiabank Arena in September 2025.
Inspired by her new album and its tour The Mayhem Ball, every design choice for this piece is a reference to album covers and other posters made to promote Mayhem, props from the stage design and costumes details from the tour and the videoclips for the songs Abracadabra and Disease. All the glass was chosen to evoke those same elements of the Mayhem artistic direction, imitating the latex on a costume, the effects of lighting coming through smoke during a live performance or the general esthetic of a videoclip.
Only high-end glass was used for this project: mouth blown sheet glass, hand painted and silver coat glass, faceted glass gems and mouth blown rondel and other limited-edition glass. The label at the bottom
of the piece was crafted using a laser, carefully etching the back of a mirror with information about the client, the artist and her tour. This precise technique allowed us to also engrave very fine lettering onto another piece of mirror for the right half of the piece.
Those little paragraphs of text are small poems, written with lyrics from each song on the album. Inspired by themes of duality, hidden inner battles and self-abandonment, which are the pillars of the Mayhem universe, these poems act as alter egos to the songs. They represent the artist’s inner monologue that she carries inside of her, only to be revealed when she dares look at herself in a mirror and try to reconcile her many sides.
MAYHEM blurs the lines between corporate gifting, craftspersonship and design thanks to its sensitive interpretation of the source material, audacious esthetics, usage of innovating techniques and a serious and precise execution. My only wish is that this piece inspires other artisans to step outside of their comfort zones, look beyond what they think their craft can be, and encourage corporations to include local makers in their creative endeavors now more than ever.
Collaboration
Artist : Heart of (stained) glass
Photo credit