lanzavecchia + wai: leone series 1

‘leone series 1 – handcrafted lighting objects’ by lanzavecchia + wai

italian-singaporean design duo lanzavecchia + wai (francesca lanzavecchia and hunn wai) collaborated with singapore’s last remaining lion dance mask craftsman on their latest lighting project. light strips of bamboo are formed and bound by hand by master craftsman henry ng to create the desired shapes. these forms are then covered in white rice paper, with the internal area where the bulb is situated, painted with a fiery orange. the form and structure of the studio’s ‘leone’ light series brings the artistry of this rare south-east asian trade into the domestic realm.

the frames of each light are made from bamboo and covered in rice paper

master henry ng picked up his lion dance mask-making skills through sheer passion and interest, taking activity with all seriousness to become a full-time craftsman – used to be a precision metal mechanist) in the mid-nineties to cater to many of the martial arts associations in singapore.

the underside of each light is finished in a fiery orange

table lamp version

floor lamp version

‘leone series 1 – handcrafted lighting objects’

lion dance mask craftsman master henry ng working on the light forms

up close of master ng’s handiwork

raw materials

raw materials