Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544635
Icons Reborn Afra and Tobia Scarpa x Flos x Lumens The b e s t m i d - century designs d o n ' t age — they endure, outlasting decades of shifting styles and passing trends. This spring, two remarkable launches prove the point: a long-lost archival lamp by one of Italian modernism's most poetic minds, brought to American shores for the first time, and a collection of handcrafted rugs drawn from the joyful, nature-filled artwork of Lucia Eames — artist, designer, and the only child of Charles Eames and cherished stepdaughter of Ray. Rebecca Sherman S eki-Han, a floor lamp conceived by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos in 1963 and in production only until 1966, has never been available in the United States until now. Online design retailer Lumens has secured an exclusive partnership to bring this rare piece of Italian modernist history to the U.S. market in an updated reissue by Tobia Scarpa, who created some 30 designs for Flos and is considered one of the most influential figures in modern lighting. He created Seki-Han from a desire to combine advanced lighting technology with humble materials such as natural wood. Two slender parallel blades of ash wood enclose a tubular light source, exploring the poetic interaction of wood and light. The name comes from the traditional Japanese dish seki han, which is prepared for celebrations and occasions of good fortune. Working closely with the designer, Flos has re-engineered the wooden blades to move and rotate, giving the user control over the aperture and intensity of light. Originally conceived only as a floor lamp, Seki-Han is now also available as a suspension light. Seki-Han by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, at lumens.com. Lucia Eames x Nanimarquina L ucia Eames was raised on the grounds of Cranbrook, educated at Radcliffe where Walter Gropius was her professor, and became steward of the Eames legacy after the deaths of her parents, Charles and Ray Eames. Lucia, who died in 2014, was also an artist in her own right — a maker of exquisite metal sculptures, graphic works, and paper art filled with butterflies, birds, suns, and abstracted organic forms that radiated optimism and a joyful connection to the natural world. Now, Barcelona- and New York-based rug maker Nanimarquina has translated seven of Lucia's original artworks into a collection of handcrafted rugs, in partnership with the Eames Office and Form Portfolios. The collection is built entirely from natural fibers — hand-spun Afghan wool, hand-braided jute, and New Zealand wool — worked in techniques including hand-knotting, hand-stitching, hand-tufting, hand-looming, and embroidery, with each rug requiring 40 to 60 days to complete. Lucia Eames Collection by Nanimarquina, nanimarquina.com. Tobia Scarpa with Biagio Seki-Han by Tobia Scarpa for Lumens Lucia Eames Clouds Echo COURTESY STUDIO TOBIA SCARPA NINA ANTON © EAMES OFFICE, LLC Drawing by Lucia Eames ROBERT RIEGER 54