Let There be Light

Since stumbling upon a brilliant book on lamp design in Oaxaca last year, I began dreaming up my own designs. I worked with Diego Venanzi in Monteleone di Spoleto to weld the first prototype this summer.

The lamp is made from one continuous rod of steel heated, hammered and then twisted into shape — with the lampshade simply being a curved piece of paper that rests and lies open in the twisting form.

Here we used sheepskin for the lampshade — made from an old technique of papermaking in the area. Of course the lamp can be easily used and switched out with any type of paper… making it especially pleasing for indecisive people with paper fetishes.

Diego uses a traditional way of metal smithing that dates back to medieval times. He took over his fathers practice & workshop a few years ago ( @venanziferro ) — a large space outside the village. Arriving early in the morning, there’s heavy metal music blasting, sparks flying around, sexy posters hanging up on the walls alongside soccer leagues, sleepy cats & dogs wandering, all nestled in the peace & tranquility of the surrounding mountain-scapes.

Even simple objects like this serve as exciting getaways to get into dialogue with more layered, complex realities. Using this lamp as a point of departure, it becomes a great investigation tool — guiding more intimate interactions / conversations / inquiries that reveal insights around the local expertise, materiality, craft, vernacular, history and more.