Formakami JH5

“East meets West in Jaime Hayon’s playful tweak of a traditional Asian lantern in a contemporary expression,” says Martin Kornbek Hansen, &tradition’s Brand Director.“Hayon has captured the essence of this iconic lantern, merging hand craftsmanship and ancient materials like rice paper, in a new lamp designed for a modern milieu. The effect is a pendant lamp that both gives light – and appears light.”

Paper lanterns have been around for centuries, in different sizes, shapes and colours, which signify different things depending on the culture. Often used for celebration or simply decoration to reflect hope and prosperity. With Hayon’s Paper Lanterns, various sizes and shapes appear together, reflecting his penchant for playfulness. Breaking away from any cultural restraints to re-invent something old but new.

"Light has the ability to dispel darkness and bring hope", says Hayon. "With the Paper Lanterns, I kept the colour white to make the appearance of the lamps themselves light. I also wanted to have even more light exude from them. More illumination. So I cut the bottom shape in half, leaving it open. With a secret desire to illuminate people’s lives – literally and symbolically.”

“For me, the beauty of these lanterns lies in their delicacy,” adds Hansen. “To see the airy, bulbous shapes in white rice paper accentuated with black stained oak is pure poetry. It’s very Asian, and at the same time, somewhat Scandinavian. In our global world, we are seeing more and more hybrids. Fusing aspects of different cultures into a new design lingo. At &tradition, this is something we continuously seek – and find with a designer as international and open-minded as Hayon.”