The ‘’Hida‘’ Lamp A Personal Journey Between Tradition and Contemporaneity

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On my last trip to Japan in February-March 2023, I came back with a surge of inspiration and many new ideas for lighting and furniture design. Some of these ideas were complex in shape, form, and even color, while others were an ode to the simplicity of living and ancient rituals, which align closely with elegant and artistic design principles.

Living in urban environments for most of my life, I sometimes felt disconnected from the essence of living and the complex processes behind sourcing basic necessities like clothing, food, water, and even housing and furniture. One practice that particularly stood out to me during my time in Japan was the meticulous craft of thatching a roof in the Hida and Gifu areas. The process involves collecting, cleaning, soaking, drying, dusting straw, and then packing it into bundles, which are fixed, distributed, and clipped with care.

The system is so complex that it’s difficult to fully grasp, but it greatly inspired my work inlighting design. Rather than attempting to imitate this technique exactly, I sought to adapt it in a way that would fit within my own capabilities and tools, creating a structure that aligns with my vision of furniture design and handcrafted lamps. These lamps serve as both artistic pieces and functional decor, embodying original, surprising, and elegant design for the modern, sophisticated house.

The “Hida” Lamp, inspired by the ancient thatching techniques, took around 400 hours of meticulous, manual labor.

In my small apartment, I spent hours at a time—sometimes two, three, or even five hours straight—preparing materials, clipping fibers, and tying them into small bundles, each composed of approximately 12 fibers.

The ‘’Hida‘’ Lamp A Personal Journey Between Tradition and Contemporaneity

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