Six Lights That Double as Sculptural Art Pieces

Ever since Cher Horowitz lamented the struggles of stumbling into some bad lighting in the 90s, we’ve been acutely aware of the importance lighting plays in design. Not just a great tool for a filtered look, good lighting selection has the power to transform a space, elevating every design selection within it with shadow play, dappled light, and variable hues. So too, beautiful lighting can become a design statement in and of itself, merging practicality and aesthetics to become a functional piece of art, and the focal point of any room.

Master of lighting art, James Turrell has reflected that “light is not so much something that reveals, as it is itself the revelation.” When comprised with architecture and interior design, the right lighting selection can become that revelation, bringing new depth, personality, and atmosphere into a design palette, creating an entirely new room as day turns to night.

Space Furniture have long been purveyors of exceptional lighting. As a key portion of their impressive suite of designer furniture, Space’s lighting portfolio includes sculptural pieces from some of the world’s greatest talents, with their selection spanning the likes of Baxter, Bocci, Flos, Foscarini, Lee Broom, and Moooi. We’ve scoured their collection to pick our top six lighting options, with a focus on pieces that have mastered the revelation.

Designed by Draga and Aurel, Nuvola is a collection of pendant lights and floor lamps that embrace organic lines and earthy textures to become sculptural pieces of art. With silhouettes that casually meander in a sinuous form, the Nuvola collection is reminiscent of a cloud that gently reveals the sunlight. The inherent softness of the structure helps to bring a relaxed feel to an interior space, creating a dreamy environment as light is gently diffused through the fibreglass construction. 

The beauty of the Bocci 118 collection is in the detail, with each piece telling its own story of craftsmanship and skill. Designed by Omer Arbel, the collection is made from air blown glass, with the interior layer of each piece carrying the ghost of the steel cage used in its formation. Through the air blowing process, molten glass is pushed into the recesses of the cage, with gravity and heat coaxing these unpredictable, multifarious tendrils to elongate, shaping the glass along the initial shape the steel has set for it.

Truly embodying the art of the reveal, the Bocci 118 collection transforms as the light switches on, moving from a softly detailed milky bauble, to a glowing orb of illuminated beauty.

Designed by Ronan Bouroullec, Ceramique is a trio of sculptural lights that merge the French designer’s sensible approach to volumes and silhouettes with Flos’ push towards innovation. Composed of three elements – base, stem, and a cap – the lamp comes is three models – up, down and side – allowing for focused light in the down position, ambience when moved upward, and directed lumination if turned sideways.

Crafted by Bouroullec entirely from ceramic, the surface is beautifully handcrafted, creating an almost sensual tactility that brings a subtle elegance in a small frame.

Small but statuesque, Buds 3 by Rodolfo Dordoni is a table lamp that is a testament to its composition. Hand-blown five-layer glass makes up the diffuser orb in either bamboo green or warm white, while a rounded transparent base emphasises the purity of the overall design. Buds 3 is deceptively simple, transcending typical design typologies and vernaculars with a smoothness and refinement that creates a floating lighting piece.

Vesper is inspired by the simple geometric lines of Brutalist sculpture and modernist cathedral lighting. A statement piece for any space, Lee Broom’s structured creation is artfully composed, balancing drama and lightness in formations that are just as beautiful in the singular as they are enmasse.

Available in anodized gold or silver, Vesper is constructed from extruded aluminium, with sleek rectangular cubes that are connected by softly illuminated spheres.

As fluid as the Vesper is structured, Flock of Light is a light and airy artistic piece that brings a playfulness to any space. Designed by Studio Toer, Flock of Light is a delightfully composed light, inspired by a swarm of fireflies and the movement of these creatures as they flit through the night. 

As a pendant, the piece’s view-through makes it a gentle addition to an interior, a softly suspended light that creates a memorable statement without detracting from anything around and below it.

Elevate your spaces with a lighting piece that compliments the composition and layout of a room. Whether a delicate pendant or a sculptural table or floor lamp, lighting has the power to create softness, add structure, build atmosphere, and highlight different design moments with directness and diffusion.

However, lighting doesn’t just exist when the bulb is on, and the best pieces are just as integral to a design when at rest. From the soft and simple, to the sleek and dramatic, a light’s structure is one of a designer’s best tools, functioning as an art piece that stages its reveal for those hours after dark.

Find your dream lighting fixture at Space Furniture and illuminate your designs in style.

Space Furniture
spacefurniture.com.sg