Ingo Maurer
Story of a Lighting Design Genius
Poet of Light
An industrial designer who revolutionized lighting design. His works exist at the intersection of art and industrial design.
Ingo Maurer
in Munich to become a graphic designer.
He studied
and founded his own company, Design M, which later became Ingo Maurer GmbH. In the 1970s, Ingo's career reached such heights that he stopped working solely for enrichment. Therefore, Ingo Maurer didn't limit himself to just creative lighting fixtures; he created entire concepts.
He began designing lighting fixtures
1936
1963
the island of Reichenau in southern Germany.
Born on
Bulb
In 1966, Ingo Maurer made a name for himself with the legendary Bulb lamp made of hand-blown crystal with a small chrome-plated metal bulb. It was so simple and original that the model immediately found its place in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Debut
in the world of design
YaYaHo
The low-voltage halogen system embodies Ingo Maurer's typical design - new, innovative, and equipped with advanced technologies. All elements can be moved horizontally, and some vertically as well. This creates highly individualized lighting; each room is illuminated differently and adapted to the personal needs of its inhabitants.
Famous works
1984
Lucellino
This little table lamp is often seen on desks, bedside tables, or sideboards: its name is a play on words, combining 'Luce' (light) and 'Ucellino' (little bird) - hence 'Lucellino.' Once again, Ingo Maurer took the motif of a light bulb and added two small wings made of goose feathers.
1989
Porca Miseria!
The production of this lamp was limited to only a few pieces per year because crafting each component required the efforts of four people, who would randomly break the plates with a hammer or drop them on the floor, and then assemble the shards into a unique composition using sterling silver.
1994
Lacrime del Pescatore
This romantic ceiling fixture, made up of three layers of nylon mesh of varying sizes, studded with 385 crystals, made its debut in 2009. A decade later, this piece is particularly poignant in light of Ingo Maurer's passing. Poetry, beauty, and romance — Maurer poured his heart and soul into this masterpiece.
2009
Franfurt
Expo Center
Installations
Milano
Torre Velasca
Exhibitions
The exhibition took place in 1989 at Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Jouy-en-Josas. It marked the first time that Maurer introduced lighting fixtures and installations that were not intended for mass production.
Since 1989, his works and objects have been featured in various exhibitions, including at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
The exhibition took place in 2007 at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.
In 2002, the Vitra Design Museum organized a traveling exhibition that held several showings across Europe and Japan.
Ingo Maurer: Lumière, Hasard, Réflexion
Light Light
Provoking Magic: Lighting of Ingo Maurer
Light - Reaching for the Moon
Last installation
His final installation, a wide chandelier made of over 3000 silver-plated leaves, was completed in the Munich Residenz Theatre on October 18, just a few days before his passing.
2019
Ingo Maurer
"As a designer I have always sought emotional satisfaction, above any other factor. That is the key to my work, but I live it as an intuition rather than a duty."
Recognition
The Georg Jensen Award 2003, Copenhagen
Royal Industrial Designers, Royal Society of Arts, 2005, London.
Lucky Strike Designer Award 2000 by the Raymond Loewy Foundation, Germany
The Oribe Award 2003, Japan
Collab's Design Excellence Award 2002, Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The German Federal Republic Design Award 2010
