Laszlo Tompa Turns Geometry Into Sculpture With an Illusion

"If there's one thing Hungarian designer László Tompa does best, it's challenging how we perceive geometry. His latest work, the Illusion Box, blurs the line between sculpture and function. At first glance, it appears to be a seamless wooden object - a mesmerizing grid of curves and intersections that seem to move with the light. But look closer, and you'll find a hidden compartment concealed within its rhythmic geometry."

"Although Tompa is currently focused on his intricate wooden sculptures, his original focus was ceramics and tile design. It was during his experiments with periodic wall tiles, built from triangular and square-based meshes, that the idea for his sculptural boxes first emerged. Seeking to translate these three-dimensional, geometric explorations into a more tactile, volumetric form, Tompa shifted his focus to wood. The material offered both precision and warmth, and opened new possibilities for exploration."

"His exploration begins with the sphericon, a solid geometric object composed of two identical surfaces joined seamlessly. After years of experimentation, Tompa discovered that it was possible to create multi-element bodies that retained the same continuous geometry as the original form. These evolved shapes, which mirror themselves when rotated 180 degrees, became the foundation for his sculptural language. Crafted from cherry wood and built from 36 turned elements that interlock with one another,"

Tompa's Illusion Box is a cherry-wood sculptural object that conceals a hidden compartment within a rhythmic grid of curved intersections. The work translates geometric experiments with triangular and square-based tile meshes into volumetric wooden forms. The design stems from sphericon geometry and multi-element bodies that mirror when rotated 180 degrees. The piece is built from 36 turned elements CNC-cut from 2D templates, then shaped on a copy lathe and hand-fitted to create seamless continuity. The process combines precision machining with traditional woodturning and careful joinery to produce an optical illusion that offers hidden, functional storage.

Read at Design Milk