These Ten Amazing Lighting Designers Are Our Design Awards Finalists!

Ross Gardam, Ceto

Taking over a year to develop, the sculptural Ceto lighting collection by Ross Gardam brings together Venetian glassblowing techniques and LED technology. The studio’s abstract interpretation of Murano tradition delivered a versatile luminaire that ripples like the ocean. It can legitimately be termed ‘universal’ owing to its fixture atop chandeliers, floor lamps, wall lights and pendants, making this the most extensive collection the studio has ever developed.

Read our coverage of this collection here.

Copper Design, Flask Lighting System

These striking, mouth blown glass luminaires by Copper Design are the fruit of an obsession with the way light refracts through coloured glass. The completely customisable coloured nodes take the form of sconces, pendants and tubular mounts, offering endless options for colour, shape and glass thickness. Operating on a completely made-to-order basis, this modular system can be installed as a singular beam or suspended from the ceiling as a fleet.

Studio Henry Wilson, Pillar

Carved from two sheets of marbled stone, Henry Wilson‘s monolithic table lamp has an impressive presence despite its modest scale. A fine hewn shade sits atop the heavy cylindrical base with ease, allowing a soft and balanced glow through the dense material.

Takeawei, Lighthouse Lamp

Simple but with a touch of whimsy, the hand thrown ceramic base of Takeawei‘s Lighthouse Lamp supports a porcelain-frosted LED ‘beacon’ on the top of its sloping frame. Much like a lighthouse, this conceptual design looks just as good turned off as on!

Pop & Scott, Cosmos Collection

Handwoven from organic cotton yarn, these textured, sculptural shades by Melbourne based makers Pop & Scott bathe any space in warm, earthy light. Though each design disperses light differently, the collection has been designed to hang together in a constellation, as well as standalone pieces.

Liam Fleming and Dean Toepfer, Solute

This hand blown glass lampshade by Adelaide’s Liam Fleming and Dean Toepfer combines artisan craftsmanship with contemporary technologies. Centuries-old glass blowing techniques were enhanced by computer modelling, which allowed the designers to create custom moulds with perfectly proportioned dimensions.

Dale Hardiman and Stephen Royce, Open Garden

Discarded iPhone screens are transformed into a unique, conceptual installation fusing modern technology with age-old optics, by designers Dale Hardiman and Stephen Royce. With the screens removed, the LCD phone panels are warped into an arched wall fixture which beams light across its curved surface. The e-waste project aims to present blue backlight emitted from handheld devices as the dominant light source of modern life.

Skeehan Studio, Haru

This minimal form desk lamp by Canberra-based Skeehan Studio is a study in colour diffusion and delicate material balance. After undergoing an experimental concept-creation phase, the final design pushes the boundaries of traditional glass-blowing techniques in both form and process. The finished light is completely hand blown from an open bubble!

Alex Earl, Olid Pendant

A simple form belies the technical precision involved in constructing the organic, carved lines of Alex Earl‘s Olid Pendant. Made from sculpted solid timber, brass and synthetic stone, this elegant visual centrepiece marries modern machining technology with timeless hand finishing to produce a soft and ambient glow. 

Koskela, Ngalya/Together

A collaboration between Sydney based furniture and lighting manufacturer Koskela and six Aboriginal art centres highlights the innovation and transformations taking place in Indigenous fibre arts across Australia. The collection of vastly different designs utilises traditional weaving techniques to explore the cultural significance of seed-growing, stingrays, weaving or ocean life through region-specific art-making traditions.