The exhibition centres around the concept of ‘komorebi’ – the Japanese word describing the soft, shifting light created when sunlight filters through the leaves of trees. This interplay of brightness, shadow and movement informs the design of the Ishigaki lamps, whose colours and materials produce an abstract intersection of fabric, liquid and light.
Each lamp comprises a carbon-metallic base supporting a bamboo stem with a delicate linen lampshade. Light is projected upward from a bulb in the base, producing a mesmerising shadow on the ceiling reminiscent of the small circle of sunlight on the ocean’s surface as viewed from many metres underwater. Meticulously hand-crafted in the designers’ workshop, every Ishigaki lamp is a unique sculpture combining the natural elegance of bamboo, the harshness of metal and the fragile poetry of fabric.
The exhibition features seven new floor lamps whose sunset coral colour is inspired by coral formations that the designers encountered around Ishigaki Island. The tonality of the pigment leans towards reddish-pink hues, inviting viewers to discover new depths and varieties within coral shades. Shadows drift across the sculpture’s surfaces with the same slow rhythm as water, creating an atmosphere where air and sea seem to merge.
Like a diver moving through gentle currents, the Ishigaki lamps invite viewers to experience illumination as something alive. These serene, evocative pieces are shaped by two worlds: the quiet shimmer of komorebi and the deep, fluid calm of freediving. They echo the way light softens and disperses as one descends underwater but also the dappled patterns found beneath forest canopies. As such, the lamps create a bridge between forest and ocean.
Through a minimalist aesthetic that draws from Japanese and French influences, Aki+Arnaud Cooren are known for integrating subtle references to nature into objects and interiors. Showcasing the latest additions to their Ishigaki collection, this new exhibition celebrates the evolution of one of the designers’ most striking contributions to contemporary design.
