Doshi Levien presents ‘Earth to sky’, a magical sculptural lighting collection combining beauty, feeling and craftsmanship

TFor the first time, Doshi Levien present a very special collection of unique pieces called Earth to sky. The Earth to sky collection, (7 objects) is the result of perseverance and time, of synchronicity, intuition and fortuitous encounters. First, Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien’s desire to create something truly unique. Not lamps or lights, but magical sculptures.

So, the designers set out to explore lighting as a sculptural object, rather than a functional, utilitarian creation. “I remember the exact moment the idea arrived. I was sketching, and exploring the coming together of linearity
and geometry, with free forms. This balance, this interplay is really a subject close to my heart.

I was drawing fine lines next to intuitive, curvaceous, sculptural forms. Nipa picked up the hole-punch, pierced one of the shapes and put a line through it. We then realized we no longer had just a composition, but an actual structure. A very organic sculpture.” (Doshi Levien).

After the idea, the desire, the drawings… came the search for fabricators with exceptional craft skills capable of producing this unique collection.

The objects were formed through the art of metal-shaping, using relatively simple rolling machines used for restoring sophisticated car bodies of the E-Type and XK1 Jaguars, with deep-formed body parts. The sculptural forms of the shades were arrived at through the process of pattern cutting and forming used to create structural garments.

Each individual shape is made of at least two pieces of automotive grade aluminium that are beaten into shape on a wooden block with a mallet, then seamlessly welded together to form the complete shape. “They are not only structures, they are something spatial, sculptural. We knew we had a really interesting direction because the project is truly a combination of space, light and form. I think Earth to sky has to do with the relationship between geometry and intuition; the circle or the line are like facts, almost unemotional. But free form is intuitive, it has expression and feeling” explains Jonathan Levien.

The magic and the power of the objects come from the hand. First, the hands of Nipa and Jonathan (drawings, prototypes) and second of the exceptional craftsmen.

“I was thinking about what attracts me to fine craftsmanship. I realise that it’s the idea that something has been made to the best of man’s ability within the limitations of materials and processes. How beautifully made details, revealing the work of a skilled hand, become a powerful expression of human endeavour” declares Jonathan Levien.

The collection perfectly symbolizes the idea of Earth to Sky. Earth through the hand craftsmanship, the hammer-on-metal, the heaviness of the materials. Sky with the aerial, ethereal quality of the sculptures, like precious creatures suspended in air. This collection also questions the objects that surround us: their meaning and precious value… “In India (where Nipa grew up), we always say that to know is science, but to know ‘how to’ is beyond science, it’s supreme knowledge.”

Entirely self-produced, this collection represents a brand-new step for the studio. “The reason we started this project, was to have complete freedom”, in the words of both Nipa Doshi & Jonathan Levien.

Project: Colección Earth to Sky.
Design and production: Doshi Levien.
Materials: Automotive-grade aluminium, brass, halogen bulbs. 
To be released on may 16th in london. 
Texts: Doshi Levien, Yves Mirande.
Photography: Jonas Lindström Studio.

Doshi Levien

Doshi Levien is a studio founded by designers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien. Doshi Levien’s work explores and celebrates the beauty, plurality and diversity of the world we live in. Nipa and Jonathan believe that design is a powerful medium to foster exchange between cultures and countries.

Nipa, born in Bombay and raised in New Delhi, studied at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, where she developed a love not only for the modern architecture of BV Doshi, Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, but also for India’s ancient walled cities, rich in textiles and other Indian crafts. Jonathan was born in Scotland. He trained as a cabinetmaker and applied his knowledge of craftsmanship to the design industry. Nipa and Jonathan met in 1995 while studying for a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in London.

Nipa and Jonathan founded their studio Doshi Levien in 2000. The London-based studio is internationally recognised for its work that brings together culture, technology, industrial design and craft. Nipa’s practice is based on his pluralistic upbringing and insightful vision of visual culture, and Jonathan’s on industrial precision combined with the sensitivity of a craftsman’s hand and a deep understanding of materials. The overlapping research, materiality and tactility of his design process (painting, modelling, colour mixing) results in work that is distinguished by the clarity of its ideas and a seemingly effortless attention to detail. What makes Doshi Levien’s work so unique is not only their confident relationship with colour, material and form, but their ability to translate their meticulous design ideas into the context of industrial production. This has enabled them to work consistently across disciplines, from colour to textiles, footwear, lighting, furniture and ceramics, often applying their understanding of one process to their work in another field. They have created works for industry leaders, for Galerie Kreo in Paris, for prestigious international museums and cultural institutions, notably Sèvres and Le Grand Hornu. Doshi Levien has won several awards for his work. Nipa and Jonathan are in the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2023 and both have been awarded the MBE for their services to design.

Project by Doshi Levien