Finnish designer, Carin Lisa Johansson-Pape, was among the most significant Finnish lighting designers in the second half of the 1900s. She co-founded the Illuminating Engineering Society of Finland.

Johansson-Pape’s designs were always minimal, concise, and highly functional. While in terms of shapes and forms, her designs are outstandingly versatile, the Finnish designer had a clear preference of materials, often using enamelled metal, acrylic, and glass. In the case of this set of three “70-021” ceiling lights, the material dominates. Opal glass, also known as milk glass, is made by adding opacifiers to the melt. The particles in the opacifiers scatter light via the Tyndall Scattering Mechanism, because of which blue light is scattered much more strongly than red light. This results in a cosy effect as the lamps provide great ambient lighting. The combination of the interesting material and simple design is effective in its understated look. The lamps are flush mounted, meaning that they are mounted so that the bodies of the fixtures are inside the wall, leaving only the bodies on top of the surface. This leaves all the attention on the peculiar, tapered shape and the opal glass. Johansson-Pape collaborated with the glassblowers at the Iittala glass factory during the 1950s, and a new collection of glass lamp designs were born from the partnership, including this model “70-021” trio.

This trio’s design combines a minimalist look with innovative, modern touches that results in a look that has an equally timeless and contemporary feel to it. As Johansson-Pape said: "A lamp is not the actual purpose, but more like an instrument. It must fulfil its purpose as a provider of light, but at the same time, it must also satisfy the aesthetic demands. A good light fixture must be simple, and its structure and function must be both neat and correct".

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SOLD

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Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use.

Dimensions:

9.05 in ⌀ x 5.9 in H

23 cm ⌀ x 15 cm H

About the designer:

Lisa Johansson-Pape graduated as a furniture designer in 1927. Her career as a designer was long and wide-ranged. Johansson-Pape's furniture was very functional. After graduating in 1927 from the Central School of Arts and Crafts she went on to work for Kylmäkoski designing furniture. In 1933, she joined the Friends of Finnish Handicraft. She designed furniture for Stockmann in 1937 and in 1942 she designed for the Stockmann owned lighting factory Orno. The materials of the luminaires were enamelled metal, acrylic, and glass. The technical functionality and practicality of the luminaire was a priority in Johansson-Pape's design.

Her attention turned towards lighting, and she co-founded the Illuminating Engineering Society of Finland, and she became the artistic director of the Friends of Finnish Handicraft from 1951 to 1985. She designed the lumieres and lighting solutions for several large spaces in Finland, such as hospitals, churches, and ships. Johansson-Pape served as the artistic director of ‘Friends of Finnish Handicrafts’. She was also known as a designer of textiles, rugs, and carpets. Johansson-Pape also created installations for 150 churches, including Eckerö Church, Helsinki Children’s Hospital, a rheumatic clinic, and for the ships Ilmatar, Aallotar, Finnpartner, Finnhansa and the icebreaker Karhu.

Lisa Johansson-Pape's works have represented Finland in numerous international exhibitions since the 1930s. At the Milan Triennial in 1951, her lamps received a silver medal and at the 1954 Triennial a gold medal. Johansson-Pape was awarded the ProFinlandia Medal in 1957. ~H.