Design Concepts and Stories — Light Design

Gica, also known as Gica Contra—the counterpart of Bastian Contrario—is a design lamp dedicated to my son, Riccardo. Like all children, Riccardo grew up challenging and questioning his parents' opinions, pushing back with his unique perspective on everything. His firm "NO" to my suggestions, rules, and ideas became a familiar refrain in our home. This playful tension, a story shared by every parent and child, gave me the inspiration to create Gica. One evening, after yet another of Riccardo's passionate refusals to agree with me, I sat down and sketched an exclamation mark (!), capturing that powerful moment of resistance....

On a sweltering July day in Calabria, at my parents' house, I was looking through some photos of my daughter Carolina while she slept beside me, curled up in her little wicker basket. I alternated these photos with ultrasound images from her gestation, following the incredible progression of her development over nine months until she was fully formed. I was there for every check-up, experiencing the joy of each milestone. I’ll never forget the thrill of discovering her gender at 17 weeks. As I watched her now, peacefully sleeping, I was filled with wonder at the sight of my beautiful...