Presented within Lisbon’s Molteni&C flagship store during Design Week, the Shining A Light installation creates a thoughtful dialogue between the angular modern furniture of the Italian brand and the organic, translucent qualities of handcrafted paper lighting. The collaboration showcases three distinct lighting collections — the Flag, the Obelisk, and the Carnation. Each design demonstrates innovative applications of 300-year-old papermaking traditions. Particularly noteworthy is the conceptual depth of the Carnation series, which pays tribute to Portugal’s peaceful revolution through symbolic rifle-shaped stems topped with delicate washi flowers.
The choice of Nao Washi’s specialty papers — including marbled varieties and those embedded with grass fibers
— demonstrates a commitment to material authenticity while pushing the boundaries of how traditional craft can inform contemporary lighting design.
Image Credit: Gabriel Tan x Gen Taniguchi
