MILAN — Let there be light.
Loewe is to unveil its most ambitious project developed for the Salone del Mobile design event to date, and it will be centered on exalting craftsmanship through lamps.
The luxury brand collaborated with 24 international artists on the creations, which will be showcased at the Palazzo Citterio venue here from Monday to April 21 in an exhibition simply titled “Loewe Lamps.”
Despite having previously worked with the label, some of the artists involved were confronted with their first foray in lighting creation, which encouraged them to experiment with new techniques and materials running the gamut from birch branches and horsehair to paper and glass.
For one, acclaimed ceramist Dame Magdalene Odundo diverted from her handmade ceramic vases and opted for folding leather in a graphic 3D structure to create a pendant lamp, while South African artist Zizipho Poswa mixed ceramic, glass and brass in a floor lamp that looks like a vase topped with a bowl of bright spheres.
For his sculptural take on a table lamp, Hafu Matsumoto leveraged bamboo’s flexibility and his weaving skills, acquired through decades of training by the great master Iizuka Shōkansai, who was the last in the line of Japan’s most celebrated bamboo craft dynasty.
Other highlights will also include 2019 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize winner Genta Ishizuka’s organic-shaped creation covered in layers of shiny lacquer, which were meticulously scratched to reveal golden finishes and the light within. Enrico David’s design nods to the human form, instead, as it resembles an arched figure with the face standing against an illuminated onyx disc.
Caracas-born, London-based artist Alvaro Barrington’s take will also stand out, as the floor lamp conceived evokes a store window with metal shutters, replete with a pull cord made of Loewe gold chain. With the same contemporary approach, Dutch sculptor Magali Reus hinged her creation on the silhouette of a lighter.
Artists commissioned with unique pieces include Nicholas Byrne; Andile Dyalvane; Ernst Gamperl; Kazunori Hamana; Anthea Hamilton; Akiko Hirai; Joe Hogan; Ann Van Hoey; Dahye Jeong; Takuro Kuwata; Jennifer Lee; Young Soon Lee; Anne Low; Chikuunsai Tanabe IV; Andrea Walsh, Cerith Wyn Evans and Shohei Yokoyama.
The creations will be flanked by Loewe’s homeware offering, ranging from ikebana vases to doorstops and paperweights made of woven leather, in addition to bespoke projects created in collaboration with the artists featured in this year’s exhibition.
For example, Matsumoto also revisited the brand’s Puzzle and Hammock bags in two unique designs — a hobo style and a pocket bag, available in black or brown leather. Also known for his bamboo-weaving techniques, 2017 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalist Tanabe experimented with calf leather to create baskets; artist Kay Sekimachi reimagined the brand’s Puzzle Fold tote bag in two sizes and created a new jacquard bucket style, while ceramist Van Hoey developed bowls crafted from scraps of lamb napa in 21 colors.
Limited-edition Loewe candles created expressly for Salone del Mobile will add to the range and build on the brand’s eco-conscious commitment, as they will come in flawed candle holders to breathe a second life into them.
Shoppers in Milan will have first dibs on all products, as they will be exclusively available to purchase at Palazzo Citterio and at the Loewe flagship on Via Monte Napoleone during the week.
Loewe Lamps will mark the eighth showcase by the fashion house during the annual Milanese design event, which offers the company the opportunity to further experiment with craftsmanship and creativity across various categories. Making for one of the most anticipated presentations by a fashion brand each year, previous iterations encompassed tapestries, baskets, woven textiles and even stick chairs, as per last year’s display at the 16th-century Palazzo Isimbardi.
Further celebrating its commitment to craft, its 178 years of history and its creative director Jonathan Anderson‘s first decade at the brand, Loewe recently unveiled the “Crafted World” show at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. As reported last month, the exhibit was curated by Anderson and designed in collaboration with the Rotterdam-based architecture firm OMA. Billed as the luxury house’s first major exhibition, it will run until May 5 before embarking on a world tour.
