Draga & Aurel present Phebe lamps a luminous fusion of art and design
Draga & Aurel’s latest creation, the Phebe pendant lamps, emerges as a captivating fusion of art, design, and innovation. Introduced as part of their Transparency Matters collection, these luminous sculptures are exclusively designed for the Rossana Orlandi Gallery, making their debut during Milan Design Week. The Phebe lamps transcend their function as mere light sources, embodying an ethereal presence that interacts dynamically with the surrounding space.
The inspiration behind these unique pieces stems from a visit to the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection in Paris, where the artistic universe of Mike Kelley left a profound impact on the designers. His work on Kandor, an imagined resin city suspended between memory and fiction, sparked a deep exploration into new forms and expressive languages. With this influence, Draga & Aurel crafted Phebe as a floating entity, evoking the sensation of a luminous satellite hovering between reality and dream.
The name Phebe is rooted in the Greek word for “bright and luminous,” perfectly capturing the essence of these visionary lamps. Handmade in their workshop in Como, each piece consists of two disks that can be adjusted to modulate light intensity. The upper disk, crafted from Lucite, emits a sharp, radiant glow, while the lower disk, molded from layers of epoxy resin in an array of colors and tones, diffuses a soft, ever-changing light. This interplay of transparency and vibrancy imbues the lamps with an almost otherworldly presence.
Aesthetic references to the Space Age are unmistakable in Phebe’s design. The sleek, futuristic form and bold use of materials pay homage to an era of unbounded creativity and exploration. Like a celestial body in perpetual motion, the lamp hovers in an ambiguous space, oscillating between the tangible and the intangible. It invites the viewer to engage with its shifting hues and fluid forms, transforming the atmosphere into a dreamscape of color and light.
All images courtesy of Draga & Aurel
