Tastemaker: Asaf Weinbroom, Lighting Designer
Israeli industrial designer looks for the wisdom in antique and traditional construction techniques
Tel-Aviv based designer Asaf Weinbroom is anything but old-school, but he still loves to embrace the methodology and traditional practices of the past. An innovative lighting designer, Weinbroom welcomes new technology, but focuses on making his lighting by hand, out of wood. While part of this is to create a one-of-a-kind product with a soft and natural feel, it's also to avoid creating fixtures that look like they popped out of a catalog. Wood naturally emphasizes the incredible craftsmanship and hand-worked detail that goes into each and every piece.
Read on to learn more about Weinbroom's unique take on modern design.
Read on to learn more about Weinbroom's unique take on modern design.
Waf CE Light
The Waf Limited series contains a table lamp and these three hanging lampshades, available in different colors. These sturdy but delicate looking fixtures are made from folded veneer sheets of ash and white oak, buttoned together with wood buttons.
Q: What kind of changes do you see happening in product design today?
A: The change I notice in industrial designers in the past years is that today you find a strong connection with people's inner artisan nature. They look for the wisdom in antique and traditional techniques. The main attraction is working by hand and experimenting with the materials, not figuring out the design on the computer and sending the drawings to the factory.
Q: What kind of changes do you see happening in product design today?
A: The change I notice in industrial designers in the past years is that today you find a strong connection with people's inner artisan nature. They look for the wisdom in antique and traditional techniques. The main attraction is working by hand and experimenting with the materials, not figuring out the design on the computer and sending the drawings to the factory.
Series 1 Wall Lamp
Weinbroom's first series of lighting was designed for large spaces. Each lampshade in this series is 50cm in diameter. The collection includes a ceiling lamp, floor lamp, and this wall lamp. The lampshades are made with a laminated read oak veneer, and engraved with textile-inspired patterns.
Q: What are you trying to say with your designs?
A: My intention is to create an honest simple design — lighting fixtures with a flavor of the old days.
Q: How has your work evolved since you first started? How do you see it evolving in the future?
A: When I started working with wood, my wish was to become a master of the material. It is important for me to perfect my works and produce high-end lighting fixtures. Recently, I've finished the production of a series integrating brass with wood, and in the near future I'll be displaying this series along with others at Jerusalem Design Week. In the exhibition, I'll showcase other fixtures involving wood with glass, metals, concrete, ceramics and more.
Q: What are you trying to say with your designs?
A: My intention is to create an honest simple design — lighting fixtures with a flavor of the old days.
Q: How has your work evolved since you first started? How do you see it evolving in the future?
A: When I started working with wood, my wish was to become a master of the material. It is important for me to perfect my works and produce high-end lighting fixtures. Recently, I've finished the production of a series integrating brass with wood, and in the near future I'll be displaying this series along with others at Jerusalem Design Week. In the exhibition, I'll showcase other fixtures involving wood with glass, metals, concrete, ceramics and more.
Series 2 Stool Lamp
The Series 2 collection consists of two table lamps and this unique stool lamp. All of the pieces in this collection are made in simple and obvious shapes to draw attention to their joinery — which is made entirely out of wood.
Q: What are some of your new favorite design trends?
A: I'm excited to see the works of designers who are willing to travel away from their comfort zone to learn and cooperate with authentic artisans, and take inspiration from tradition. Another trend is the designer/artist combination. It's always interesting to see the work of a product designer in a less restricting environment — it's an emotional process to blend with the art world.
Q: What are some of your new favorite design trends?
A: I'm excited to see the works of designers who are willing to travel away from their comfort zone to learn and cooperate with authentic artisans, and take inspiration from tradition. Another trend is the designer/artist combination. It's always interesting to see the work of a product designer in a less restricting environment — it's an emotional process to blend with the art world.
Braa Desk Lamp
The recent Braa series combines brass tubes with wood joinery. The brass is locked into hollowed out pieces of wood, which allows for seamless movement without friction. The materials on this fixture are left untreated — the brass was only sandblasted, which means it'll darken over time.
Q: What is your favorite piece in your line?
A: I love my most recent series, Braa, because of the combination of wood with brass which was new for me. I'm also still very attached to my first series of fixtures.
Q: What designers (both past and present) are you inspired by?
A: From the past, I really like Jean Prouve's technical design. Currently, I like the artistic designs of Jaime Hayon.
More Design Tastemakers:
Jared Rusten
Our Paper Life
Daniel Schofield
Q: What is your favorite piece in your line?
A: I love my most recent series, Braa, because of the combination of wood with brass which was new for me. I'm also still very attached to my first series of fixtures.
Q: What designers (both past and present) are you inspired by?
A: From the past, I really like Jean Prouve's technical design. Currently, I like the artistic designs of Jaime Hayon.
More Design Tastemakers:
Jared Rusten
Our Paper Life
Daniel Schofield
A: The main attraction for me in all products — especially in lighting elements — is the mechanism, joints, and the movement of the object. I always start from the small detail and build the rest of the lamp around it. My ideas usually involve a technical element, and by using wood instead of metal or other materials that are more commonly used, the handmade process is emphasized.