How to liven up your lampshades
26.9.2024
Translation: Megan Cornish
There are loads of tutorials online at the moment about how to turn a basic lampshade into something more interesting. A graffiti pioneer has jumped on this trend to put a new spin on a design classic.
Isamu Noguchi was an influential American artist and designer with Japanese heritage. He developed the modular, extendable Akari lamp system, which consists of around 200 models. For Noguchi, the Akari light sculptures were just as much an experiment as they were a way to blur the lines between fine and applied arts. They’re made by hand and are characterised by their simple shapes, lightness and the choice of material. The stripes are made from natural washi paper, the ridges from bamboo.
At the last Milan Design Week, the Noguchi Museum presented a limited series of handmade Akari lamps. They’re part of a project initiated in 2020, where graffiti artist Futura 2000 put his own twist on the famous light sculptures.
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
The result is a combination of traditional Japanese and modern, urban art. While Noguchi’s known for minimalistic design, Futura 2000’s work’s full of expressive shapes and lines. The artist gave the Akari lamps his personal touch, using various techniques to create abstract, futuristic patterns, including stencilling and spray painting.
«Lamp tattoos» – a new design trend?
Painting a simple rice paper lampshade isn’t a new idea, but more and more examples are popping up – even beyond Milan Design Week. For example, TikToker Marie Lambi recently decorated a paper lampshade with organic shapes and bright colours. Her inspiration? The 2015 Japan-inspired Formakami series by Danish brand & Tradition.
Source: & Tradition
Source: @marielamberechts
Source: @marielamberechts
Design aficionado Marco Zamora didn’t paint his «boring» lampshade. He went for a «lamp tattoo», as he calls it. He uses a black marker pen to draw figures, slogans and abstract shapes on multiple shades. It might be a little early to say, but this TikTok video and other tutorials on various social media channels could be the first examples of a new lamp design trend.
Source: @want.zamora
Source: @want.zamora
Get the look
If you like the idea, here are a few lamps you can decorate before committing to a real Akari…
If you like the look but don’t want to get your hands dirty, there are already some colourful paper lampshades available to buy.
Source: La Redoute
Header image: Pia Seidel
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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