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One to watch is Kyla McCallum of foldability and her gorgeous origami lamps.

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Words by Helen Parton


Who:

A complex design, the Leah Pendant, part of the Sonobe collection, uses 115 squares of paper, each folded and joined together byhand. Turning on the light causes the white paper layers to glow, creating intricate geometric patterns.

Kyla McCallum, the founder of the multidisciplinary design studio Foldability, has a fascination with origami that forms the basis of her light-fitting designs. McCallum graduated in 2012 from the Glasgow School of Art with an MA in European design. She has lived in several cities including Milan, Berlin and Bangalore, as well as spending time in Cologne as part of her degree, but now calls East London her base. Foldability's products can be made in a range of shapes, sizes and papers. Using skills in traditional folding techniques, the studio also works across diverse disciplines including product design, graphics, packaging, exhibition design, events and interiors.

All the pendant lamps in the Sonobe range are made using GF Smith's Naturalis Absolute Smooth white paper and a steel, whitecoated inner frame. The Arthur Pendant is formed from 32 squares.

Why:
McCallum recalls crafting a skirt from books during her studies, and paper has always been a key component of Foldability's design process. Last year, the studio launched the Sonobe collection - a series of handmade light fittings based on a traditional folding technique that takes its name from Mitsunobu Sonobe, who is understood to have created the technique in the Sixties. Going forward, McCallum says: 'I hope to do more on a large scale, but still keep an element of origami.'

One of the smaller lamps in the Sonobe collection, the Malcolm Pendant is formed using 20 squares of paper. It is available in two sizes - 365mm high and 460mm high.

Where:
foldability.co.uk