Kazuhiro Yamanaka designs flat-packed paper lamp that fits in an envelope
Japanese designer Kazuhiro Yamanaka has created the inflatable Tsubomi table lamp, which has a distinctively creased appearance due to its paper material and packaging.
The Tokyo-based designer has previously created a floor lamp that fit inside a pizza box – Tsubomi is a scaled-down version of this and comes in an A4-size envelope.
Yamanaka describes the lamp as being inflatable, as it features holes in its base that take in air as it unfolds. Once inflated, it can stand up on its own, anchored by a base made out of sheet aluminium.
A flat LED light fixture integrated into the base illuminates the piece, enhancing the appearance of the wrinkles and creases that result from the lamp's packaging and materiality.
"The paper looks similar to ordinary paper, but it actually has a three-layer structure composed of paper and plastic, with a thickness of about 0.2 millimetres," Yamanaka told Dezeen.
"Because the layer of plastic is sandwiched inside, the paper is highly durable and does not tear even after being repeatedly folded and unfolded."
The result is a self-supporting light that has a shape reminiscent of conventional lamps, comprising a slim base topped by a blocky shade.
Users can choose from plain white paper or gridded paper in black or pink for the lamp's body, with the gridded paper creating a faintly tinted glow.
"The basic type uses plain white paper, but the grid-patterned version is designed to highlight the texture and beauty of the paper's natural wrinkles," Yamanaka said.
"In addition, using colour affects and enriches the hue of the light itself."
Yamanaka envisages the lamps being used across various types of interiors, including residential spaces and galleries.
"The lamps have a sculptural presence, so they work well in spaces with clean lines and generous negative space, where their form and the texture of the paper can be appreciated almost as an art object," the designer said.
Though not yet commercially available, the designer is exploring collaborations with various manufacturers with the aim of bringing Tsubomi to market in the future.
Yamanaka uses paper in the majority of his lighting designs, including a candle-like piece made from a sheet of tightly rolled A4 paper, and a pendant light comprising an A3 sheet enwrapped by a power cord.
Other lamps covered on Dezeen include a three-metre-tall "milky" lava lamp by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis and a table lamp that design studio Akasaki & Vanhuyse made from decommissioned train parts.
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