Obj01 Lamp

Scanning this image from background to foreground, listeners encounter a lighting design object photographed against a soft sage-gray wall that provides neutral backdrop for the metal forms. The primary object is a rectangular panel of brushed steel-gray metal, oriented vertically like a portrait frame, standing perhaps twelve to fifteen inches tall on a white surface or shelf. Through the center of this rectangular panel, a perfect circle has been cut out, creating a window or aperture through which we can see the background wall. Within this circular opening sits a bowl-shaped element, like half of a sphere or a shallow dish, currently tilted at an angle so its concave interior faces partially toward us and upward. The bowl element has the same brushed metal finish as the surrounding rectangular frame, with fine linear texture suggesting carefully prepared industrial material. From within the tilted bowl emanates a warm, soft glow, peachy-amber in color like candlelight or late afternoon sun filtered through honey, illuminating the interior surface of the bowl and casting gentle warmth onto the surrounding gray tones. Entering from the upper right corner of the image, a human hand reaches toward the bowl element, fingers positioned as if adjusting or tilting the luminous hemisphere, demonstrating that this is an interactive object whose light angle can be changed through physical manipulation. The hand appears to belong to someone with light skin, the forearm visible extending diagonally into the frame, creating organic contrast against the geometric precision of the metal forms. The rectangular panel sits on what appears to be a white painted surface, perhaps a shelf or plinth, with soft shadow cast beneath establishing the object's three-dimensional presence. The overall atmosphere feels quiet and contemplative, the warm glow providing intimate illumination against the cool industrial gray of the metal structure.

The Obj01 lamp was designed during the pandemic, at a time when it was not possible to go outside, buy materials or visit production workshops. Manu wanted to design an object to inhabit his home during the pandemic, so he started making models using a cutter knife and cardboard boxes from online purchases he made, since cardboard was the only material he had at home. The design process was focused on generating simple cuts on cardboard sheets and through those simple cuts generate new functions or uses for the object. In this case the idea was to generate a lampshade through a simple cut.