Carpenters Workshop Gallery presents Komorebi, an exhibition of new lighting works by Paris-based design studio Aki + Arnaud Cooren, known for their calm, atmospheric designs that explore the relationship between objects and the natural world. The exhibition expands the designers’ ongoing Ishigaki collection, a series of lighting pieces inspired by freediving experiences around Ishigaki Island in southern Japan.

At the core of the exhibition lies the Japanese concept of komorebi the gentle, shifting light that filters through tree leaves. This natural phenomenon becomes a guiding principle for the Ishigaki lamps, where light, shadow, and material interact to create subtle, ever-changing visual effects. The works explore an abstract dialogue between fabric, liquid-like movement, and illumination.

Each lamp is constructed from a carbon-metal base, a bamboo stem, and a finely crafted linen shade. Light is emitted upward from the base, casting soft, organic shadows on surrounding surfaces. These projections recall the shimmering circles of sunlight seen from beneath the ocean, evoking the sensation of looking up toward the water’s surface while diving. Every piece is handmade in the designers’ workshop, making each lamp a unique sculptural object that balances bamboo’s natural softness with the rigidity of metal and the delicacy of fabric.

The exhibition introduces seven new floor lamps in a coral-toned palette, inspired by underwater coral formations observed near Ishigaki Island. The hues shift between soft pink and deep reddish tones, offering a nuanced interpretation of marine color variations. As light moves across the surfaces, shadows gently drift and transform, echoing the slow rhythms of water and current.

Like a freediver suspended in motion, the Ishigaki lamps invite viewers to experience light as something fluid and alive. The collection exists between two natural environments forest and ocean where dappled sunlight filtering through leaves meets the diffused glow of underwater depth. This duality creates a continuous visual and sensory bridge between land and sea.

Rooted in a minimalist design language influenced by both Japanese sensibilities and French craftsmanship, Aki + Arnaud Cooren consistently integrate subtle references to nature into functional objects. With Komorebi, the designers further evolve the Ishigaki series, presenting lighting pieces that blur the boundaries between sculpture, atmosphere, and natural phenomenon, reinforcing their position within contemporary design practice.

all images © the gallery and the artist(s)