- karsten
Designer lamps for the years to come
Holmegaard has commissioned two exciting women designers to show us their vision of lamp design for tomorrow. Minimalism and humour are keywords for the new generation designers with an unfailing sense of style as they follow in the footsteps of Verner Panton and Piet Hein.
Rikke Hagen and Maria Kariis, are taking a fresh look at the powerfully traditional heritage of lamp design at Holmegaard, produced in collaboration with the grand old men of Danish lighting, Verner Panton and Piet Hein. Although the two women designers produce individual lamps with different expressions, there are some common characteristics in the next generation of designer lamps: they both refer back to earlier classics in a stringent form language, adding a subtle touch of humour.
Award-winning Rikke Hagen and the futuristic power lamp
Steam is the name Rikke Hagen has given to her futuristic table lamp, which communicates power in plenty. In the award-winning designer’s own words: ”The keywords with this new lamp have been to capture power and energy in their basic forms. Because the very essence of light is energy. I drew lots of lines, which I ended up by simplifying – until only simplicity is left.
Steam plays with the basic form of the table lamp, but has been totally purged of all superfluous detail. On the other hand, the current or the cable that is normally concealed has been made into part of the installation: a bold turquoise cable, swinging its way out from inside the lamp. Talking of her collaboration with Holmegaard Glassworks, which is steeped in traditions, and has produced hand-blown glass since 1825, Rikke Hagen says: “As a designer, I see it as my primary objective to plant myself solidly in Holmegaard’s impressive aesthetic history and continue building with all the material I find there. So I chose the smoked grey and opal white colours for Steam, because those are just the colours Holmegaard is famous for. Then I pepped them up with the audacious turquoise cable. The vibrant, cool blue goes perfectly with the smoke and white shades.”
Maria Kariis with the epoch-making ball lamp
With her new pendant light, O2, designer Maria Kariis has created a groundbreaking design with a humorous twinkle in its eye. The circular shape is a salute to the classic ball lamp that we all know so well. The round openings on each side of the lamp reveal the bulb and the air space around it – and give the lampshade its name. This is how the Swedish designer Maria Kariis explains her design: “I wanted to create a spherical lamp that was different: simple, but with a soul and a personality, a little exposed, but proudly showing off its source of light. The lamp changes its expression, depending on where you are in the room: it is both open and closed.”
The apertures in 02 suggest humorous associations with the soft retro shapes of the 70s and space-inspired design. Maria Kariis continues: “The soft, round ball shape has a circular hole in the side, which reveals the warm, shiny inside. It causes variations in the intensity of the light. I am fascinated by the contrasts between the hardness and softness, the warm glass, the light and the cold metal. That is what brings the form to life.”
The two designers
Maria Kariis (1971) studied industrial design at Beckman’s School of Design, graduating in 1998, and has also studied at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. Since 1998 she has run her own design studio. In 2006, she was affiliated with Holmegaard Glassworks as a designer.
Rikke Hagen (1970) qualified in 1998 as a glass designer at Danmarks Designskole. She has her own glass workshop and has been awarded several grants and awards for her unique, bold designs. Rikke Hagen has been associated with Holmegaard Glassworks since 2001.