Light Up Your World: The NOS SPHERE 228 & Poise Lamp Featured in Graphis Journal #368

Banish the darkness this winter season with some inventive, innovative lighting designs for your space.

German product designer Robert Dabi gives lighting grace with his movable lamp, Poise (above and below, right). Made with powder-coated brass and lightweight aluminum, and with a light switch that has smart lighting and dimming controls, the lamp features a heavy T-base with a lightweight arm and a slim lighting ring at the end. Both the arm and the circle are movable; the ring can rotate 320 degrees around the arm, which can tilt right, left, and rotate on its axis 320 degrees as well. This flexibility invites a person to ‘play’ with the lamp, moving it into different positions, which is what Dabi was looking for when he first designed Poise. “My lamp concepts involve a certain amount of interaction in order to modify the way light is perceived,” explained Dabi. “This should encourage curiosity and human interaction with the light source, instead of just putting it somewhere to rest.” The lamp was originally created for the Young Talent exhibition at Light + Building, the world’s largest lighting fair. The convention was canceled due to coronavirus, but it still received great praise, earning an A’ Design Award and being shortlisted for the 2020 Dezeen Awards. Even better, if you want your own Poise lamp, it will be produced by light manufacturer Kundalini.

London designer Matt Kavanagh, half of Diplomat Designs, successfully unites sustainability, functionality, and elegance with his NOS SPHERE 228 chandelier (above, left), composed of discarded nitrous oxide canisters collected from parks, streets, and other public spaces. Originally serving as a single use product, these canisters are transformed by Kavanagh, giving a whole new meaning to conventional recycling. Each of the chandelier’s 228 canisters are polished and threaded, creating a hanging masterpiece. The metal of each canister, paired with narrow focused LED lights, truly makes this product sparkle from all angles. Additionally, these lighting features also refract the rays onto the floor, producing shadows that change with even the smallest movement of each canister. From far away, each canister appears effortlessly perfect. However, up close, the original wear and tear becomes apparent, showcasing the canisters’ origins. By using recycled materials, Kavanagh demonstrates that design and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they complement each other, uniting in such a way that generates community accountability as well as functional art. Each chandelier is handcrafted, but does not serve as an insular project. Rather, the replicable nature of this design demonstrates the ongoing effort for sustainable design and products. The most recent recreation is NOS SPHERE 348; NOS SPHERE 228 was featured at the NoFormat Gallery in South London before the worldwide COVID-19 shutdown.

To read more of Journal #368, you can buy your own copy at graphis.com.