‘koan’ by edrick thung

a thought experiment before it was a utilitarian home object, ‘koan’ lamp is a prototype created by singaporean designer edrick thung that reformulates the conventions of lamp design.

named after the poetic, paradoxical riddles of zen, the ‘koan’ lamp was driven by a single question: in a world where most lamps focus on the fixture rather than the light itself, ‘can there be simply light, with no source?’

edrick thung: koan full view of ‘koan’

viewed from the side or above when lit, ‘koan’ exudes a volume of light, but in the center of the structure where a bulb is expected, there is only a void. the lamp exists as a single object, rather than as the assemblage of bulb, rod, and shade that we perceive in conventional lighting. thung hopes that the combined effect draws awareness to light as a tangible substance.

edrick thung: koan the LEDs lighting the lamp are visible only from below

the ‘koan’ prototype is composed of wood, paper, and individual LED lights, but the lamp was designed to be structured of iron. pending technological development, it will utilize strips of light-emitting polymers in place of the LEDs.

edrick thung: koan ‘koan’ turned off