A Philadelphia man, straddling two cultures, is finding his place in the world of design. Artisan John Pomp, owner of John Pomp Studios in Port Richmond, is reimagining beauty through the lens of glass.

He creates luxury chandeliers and lamps inspired by his Asian American heritage.

“There’s a lot of eastern aestheticism, kind of like layered into our work,” Pomp said.

His products illuminate homes, hotels and galleries.

“What’s unique and special about what we do here, and I’m very proud of it, is that we truly make everything from raw materials to finished goods inside our own facility,” Pomp said.

It’s the kind of success Pomp said he never thought possible.

“I definitely feel like I’ve been caught between two worlds,” Pomp said.

Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to a White father and Chinese immigrant mother from Hong Kong, Pomp said he grew up often feeling like an outsider.

“There was, of course, a lot of challenges being an Asian American growing up in a very small rural town in Pennsylvania in the ’70s,” Pomp said.

His mixed culture and overcoming challenges like bullying and racism shaped his journey. Pomp said the one place he felt he belonged was the art studio.

Originally determined to become a painter, it was a glassblowing class at Columbus College of Art and Design that changed the trajectory of Pomp’s career.

“At a certain point I knew that I didn’t fit in, and that’s OK, and I think that being able to really celebrate my differences and my uniqueness was my superpower,” Pomp said.

Pomp said he spent years learning from some of the best glass blowers in the industry. He now employs 50 artists at the facility he owns in Port Richmond. His one-of-a-kind works are on display at showrooms in New York City and Los Angeles.

“I think for anybody, the most difficult times in your lives end up being the most defining ones,” Pomp said.

It’s a powerful message about the value of perseverance.

Pomp is a member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Design Alliance, an organization that advocates for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the home and design industry.