Loewe Lamps Exhibition Shines Light on Artistry and Innovation at Milan Design Week

FDT Bureau

During Milan Design Week, the fashion house Loewe showcased a unique collection of lamps created by 24 international artists, each incorporating a wide range of materials such as birch twigs, horsehair, leather and Japanese washi paper. The exhibition, titled Loewe Lamps, was held in a single room at the historic Palazzo Citterio in Milan’s Brera district. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT). Originally established as a leather-making craft collective in the 19th century, Loewe invited artists from around the world to design lamps for the exhibition. According to Jonathan Anderson, founder of JW Anderson and head of Loewe, the artists experimented with the properties of each material to create unexpected interactions with light. One of the featured artists, South African ceramicist Andile Dyalvane, crafted bulbous lighting using glass and clay, with yellow- and amber-hued tentacles reminiscent of acacia trees. In contrast, Scottish artist Jennifer Lee used salvaged washi paper Shoji screens from her studio at the Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art to create a geometric lamp. Inspired by Japan, Lee incorporated subtle pencil marks on the delicate paper, which had aged beautifully over time. Anthea Hamilton, a British artist, drew inspiration from Japanese design to create a kimono-shaped stained-glass lamp scaled to human proportions. Originally conceptualized as a finger with a glowing nail, the design evolved into a garment-like form. Other highlights of the exhibition included Irish basketmaker Joe Hogan’s pendant lamp crafted from birch twigs in a bird’s nest-style, and a towering floor lamp by South Korean artist Dahye Jeong, winner of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2022, which was clad in horsehair. Image credit: Loewe