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Designer John Pomp’s First Foray into Wood Debuts at Thomas Lavin in Los Angeles

After crafting sculptural lighting and furniture with glass and metal, the Galerie Creative Mind conceives Unearthed, a visually captivating collection of carved tables and seating

By Jill Sieracki
Modern dining table and two upholstered chairs against a dark background.
Unearthed dining table and chairs by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio

The furniture and lighting designed by Philadelphia maker John Pomp defy definition—both literally and figuratively. Frosted, biomorphic orbs protrude from blackened rings or ooze between tight tangles of woven rope. Massive slabs of seeded glass balance on metal bases of burnished gold ombre or twisted, gleaming silver.

Every element of the pieces are produced by artisans in his massive warehouse where furnaces, kilns, and CNC machines share space with cabinets of curiosities laden with past experiments and inspiring shapes as well as a half pipe for skateboarding.

It’s this imagination factory that has made Pomp a favorite among designers like Geoffrey De Sousa, Nicole Hollis, Sasha Bikoff, and Jeff Lincoln, and earned Pomp a spot in Galerie‘s Creative Minds list.

Person standing in modern interior with wooden table and chairs, pendant lights, and large windows. Casual and stylish atmosphere.
John Pomp with his Unearthed dining table in his showroom at the New York Design Center. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio
Modern dining room with oval table, unique metallic base, upholstered chairs, pendant lights, and contemporary art.
John Pomp’s Unearthed dining chair paired with his Warp dining table. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio
A cozy, modern armchair with wooden frame and textured upholstery next to a wooden table in a dimly lit room.
Unearthed collection by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp

And its a boundless energy that has inspired Pomp to invent and reinvent, pushing the boundaries of glass, metal, and now, with the debut of Unearthed, wood. “Glass let me explore water, fire, and air—movement, heat, transparency, lightness. Wood brings in the element that was still missing: earth,” says Pomp. “After years working with materials that are fluid or reactive in the moment, wood offered the chance to work with something grounded and textured, a material that already carries its age and history inside it before you even touch it. It’s less a departure from my practice than the completion of it—rounding out the elemental language of the brand with warmth and texture.”

Modern minimalist gray bench with curved edges on a dark background.
Unearthed bench by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio
Modern brown upholstered chair with dark wooden frame, viewed from the back against a dark background.
Back view of Unearthed lounge chair by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio
Minimalist wooden stool with a square top and curved legs against a dark background.
Unearthed side table in white oak by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio

Debuting this week at Thomas Lavin’s Los Angeles gallery, Unearthed encompasses dining chairs, lounge chairs, and benches, as well as dining, cocktail, and side tables. Seating can be done with or without plush seating, available in new boucle upholstery in 60 various shades. Conceived over the course of a year, the collection comes in three different species with seven unique finishes concocted “to bring out each wood’s natural tactility and depth without over-polishing away its character,” says Pomp. Whereas much of the existing collection is defined by softer, rounded shapes, Unearthed commands attention with its more structured geometries. “Wood doesn’t yield the way molten glass does, so it took time to understand the material’s nature,” says Pomp of the creative process. “Balancing negative space and curvature in a rigid material took real trial and error compared to shaping glass in the moment.”

Modern wooden console table with a curved design, positioned against a dark wall and partially reflecting in a mirror above.
Unearthed console table by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp
Modern beige armchair beside a tall metallic lamp in a dimly lit room with a window.
Unearthed lounge chair by John Pomp. Photo: Courtesy of John Pomp Studio

But despite the challenges in creating with wood, Pomp found similarities in its organic nature and sees Unearthed not as a departure from the John Pomp Studio collection, but an extension. “John Pomp Studio has always worked elementally—water, fire, and air, explored through glass. Unearthed completes that language with earth,” he says. “Formally, the throughline is the same abstracted, organic sensibility across every collection: sensuous curvature, a dialogue with negative space, materials that look natural, almost as if they made themselves. The glass-topped Unearthed tables make that connection literal, with my signature sculptural glass sitting directly on the wood—the convergence of two organic materials in one piece. So beyond the maker, the similarity is philosophical: every John Pomp piece, regardless of material, is about revealing the material’s true organic nature.”

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