At first sight, they look heavy and massive, but actually, they are super light – I am talking about the lamps by Polish design collective PAPA. Sonia Bąk, Michał Tokarski and Weronika Pełczyńska created a collection of minimalistic lamps made from waste paper, the PAPA lamps. We took a closer look at these ecologically sound yet very intriguing lamps.
PAPA is a group of three students of the Academy of Fine Arts Łódź – Sonia Bąk, Michał Tokarski and Weronika Pełczyńska. The idea to make pulp lamps was originally born for PAPA’s participation at the design festival Przetwory, which is focused on converting waste, recycled materials or old furniture into new objects of art and utility. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the lamps, the designers decided to continue their work.
The major aim of this unique lamp collection was to create an unusual combination of organic structure and minimalistic form. „Our products are inspired by nature, Scandinavian design and simplicity. ‘Less is more’ – we truly follow these famous words“. The material – waste paper – is fully ecological and mixed with natural glue based on mere flour. This seemingly simple mixture is modified by adding various ingredients, making the final effect more diverse.
The lamps give the sensation of something massive and heavy, when in fact they are extremely light. This creates an interesting contrast between the first impression and the real material.
The production process is quite labor-intensive, it requires a lot of precision and patience. Thanks to that, each lamp is a little bit different and unique. If you are curious to see how the PAPA lamps are made, check out the video below.
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Each lamp is equipped with a separate board placed on the inside of the lamp made of transparent plastic which makes it possible to combine the lampshade with a cable for the bulb. PAPA lamp can be either hung from the ceiling to illuminate for instance your dinner table or used as a standard lamp to give a cozy light to your bedroom.
The lamps are PAPA’s first common project, we are looking forward to hearing more about them and their products in the future! If you are interested in buying a PAPA lamp, you can either contact the designers by e-mail at papalampy@gmail.com or send them a private message on facebook.
Photos via PAPA Lampy