Emerging lighting studio Kawabi, based in New York, has solidified its place in the design world by joining Colony, the renowned Tribeca gallery championing independent talent. Co-founded by Irisa Na and Aaron Kawabi, the studio crafts handmade-to-order lighting fixtures described as “vessels of illumination.” These creations draw from ancestral forms and rituals, merging historical inspiration with modern aesthetics. To mark this collaboration, Colony is showcasing Kawabi’s debut collections: the Souvenir Collection, the Legume Series, and the Cascade Pendant.
Designer: Kawabi
Kawabi’s Souvenir Collection conveys a minimalist elegance steeped in symbolism, with shades crafted from pleated kozo paper supported by sleek architectural frames. Evoking the imagery of gateways and portals, the designs explore the spiritual resonance of objects as beacons of light and meaning. Inspired by a traditional paper lantern encountered in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the collection integrates East Asian lantern-making techniques into a contemporary framework.
The Souvenir Table Lamp and Souvenir Floor Lamp stand out as testaments to Kawabi’s refined artistry. The table lamp, with its precision-folded kozo paper shade and warm walnut base, evokes a sense of quiet reverence, as though illuminating a shrine to modern simplicity. Meanwhile, the floor lamp elevates functionality to art. Its live-edge wood cross beam lends a tactile authenticity, while a suspended brass pendulum touch switch adds an unexpected interplay of elegance and utility. Together, the pieces transform light into a spiritual centerpiece, seamlessly marrying ancient symbolism with modern refinement.
The Legume Lamp is a heartfelt homage to the rituals of offering and remembrance. Its form, reminiscent of a seed pod, encapsulates themes of renewal and legacy. The lamp’s organic curves, coupled with a base inspired by ceremonial offering trays, blend practicality with a sense of sacred ritual.
Crafted from white oak, kozo paper, and rattan, the Legume Lamp seems to glow with its own inner life. It bridges the tactile warmth of natural materials with an emotional resonance rooted in tradition. The lamp not only lights a room but also invites reflection, becoming a quiet monument to familial connections and cultural heritage.
Drawing from the graceful asymmetry of kengai bonsai arrangements, the Cascade Pendant integrates the beauty of organic motion into its sculptural form. The fixture’s alternating shapes evoke flowing branches, creating a dynamic composition that offers a new perspective from every angle.
Made from white oak, kozo paper, and rattan, the Cascade Pendant achieves harmony between material and concept. The natural grain of the wood complements the soft translucence of the paper, while the suspended elements seem to float, as if caught in an eternal downward drift. The design transforms light into a living element, inviting viewers to interact with its evolving interplay of shadow and illumination.
For Kawabi, light is more than a tool; it is an experience of connection. The studio’s founders have expressed that their first collaboration on a lighting piece revealed light as the perfect medium for evoking resonance and harmony. This ethos permeates every fixture, crafted with the intention of creating meaningful and attuned spaces.
Colony’s founder, Jean Lin, highlighted the studio’s ability to blend traditional Asian iconography with modern sensibilities, describing their work as both contemporary and deeply rooted. She emphasized Kawabi’s unique voice in the design landscape, anticipating the resonance it would bring to new audiences.
Kawabi’s debut at Colony is more than an introduction, it is a celebration of heritage, craftsmanship, and modern design. Through the interplay of ancestral narratives and contemporary innovation, their lighting pieces illuminate more than just physical spaces. Each fixture carries a story, inviting viewers to experience light as a bridge between past and present. Visitors to Colony’s Tribeca gallery are welcomed into this luminous dialogue, where the traditional and the contemporary merge in harmony.
