Tami × Luce Exhibition

Tami was shown at the Luce exhibition, part of the "Inspired by Barcelona" initiative at the 2025 Barcelona Design Week — a showcase of lights spanning prototypes to self-produced series made over the last 30 years, reflecting on how new technologies have democratized manufacturing and enabled designers, artists, and architects to create and distribute work directly from their studios, without intermediaries.

A self-produced piece, Tami embodies this shift. 3D printed with a bio-based material that recalls paper in its matte white, slightly irregular texture — yet far more durable — it reflects both the possibilities of contemporary fabrication and a growing commitment to responsible making. Its form draws on the geometric textures of woven fiber screens, traditionally used to filter sunlight. Here, the concept is inverted: the light lives inside.

Living in Spain, you learn that (sun)light is as beautiful as it is powerful - so much that, at times, you need a filter to soften it. For Tami, we looked into the geometric textures of woven fiber screens traditionally used in architecture across the world from Mediterranean, Asia to Central and South America to filter sunlight. Only that here, the light is inside - it‘s a house for light.

The inspiration came from the many ways cultures around the world have negotiated with light — Japanese shoji panels stretched over delicate wood frames, slatted wood and bamboo screens, canvas sun shades, billowing curtains. Each a different material, each a different texture, but all sharing the same purpose: to soften, to diffuse, to make light livable. Tami distills this long tradition into a single form, where the interplay of shadow and glow becomes the essence of the object itself.

Tami is 3D printed with PLA — a biopolymer derived from corn starch — and scallop shells recycled from the food industry. Unlike conventional manufacturing, 3D printing deposits only the material needed, resulting in zero waste. The process also allows dimensions to be adjusted to custom requests, making each piece adaptable without retooling or excess production. Made piece by piece, Tami is a bold formal statement with a genuinely sustainable approach.

Beyond materials and process, Tami reflects a broader shift in how objects can be made and distributed. Small-scale, studio-based production decouples design from industrial dependency — no large runs, no warehousing, no waste from unsold stock. The choice of bio-based and recycled material from local sources goes hand in hand with this model: a piece that is local in its making, responsible in its materials, and considered at every step of its production.

Thanks to new technologies, manufacturing processes have been democratized. Today, designers, artists, architects, and engineers can develop and produce their creations directly from their studio, workshop, or even from home, and distribute them without intermediaries.

The Luce exhibition also looks back to recover references that, long before the rise of digital platforms and social media, were already exploring an independent and personal approach to design. The exhibition was organized by the BCDF in collaboration with the Disseny Hub Barcelona, and curated by Stefano Colli.