The Balloon Light series investigates the limits of porcelain thinness to produce variable light transmission over highly contoured surfaces. The pieces explore the relationship between steel hardware and a balloon-like porcelain shade. The surface of the balloon pinches and swells relative to how it is being squeezed by the hardware. In moments where the steel spokes nearly pierce the balloon, the surface of the porcelain thins, allowing more light to pass through the clay body. The tension between porcelain and steel is expressed through both the swelling of the porcelain around the steel and the variable degrees of illumination that occur as a byproduct of this relationship.