The Soniah Floor Lamp

An organic floor lamp inspired by the Sun.

Designed by Kiev-based Yakusha Design for their FAINA label, the new Soniah floor lamp draws inspiration from the Trypillian Sun. The Trypillian culture of Ukraine dates back to 5,400–2,700 BCE. The ancient civilization believed in a link between the structure of the Universe and the flow of time, with the Sun’s motion signifying the essence of life. Driven by a desire to promote both contemporary Ukrainian design and the country’s traditions, the studio referenced these concepts in the Soniah lamp design. The word “soniah” means “sunflower” in Ukrainian. The floor lamp features an organic but minimalist form that seems to grow naturally from the flooring surface. It boasts a tapered base and a rounded shade reminiscent of an open flower that houses the light bulb.

Sculpted by hand, Soniah has a haptic surface thanks to the custom-made “ztista” material. Specially developed by FAINA, the eco-friendly material features a combination of clay, wood chips, upcycled steel, and straw as well as linen and recycled paper. At the end of the lamp’s life cycle, this custom material that also has a biopolymer coating decomposes completely. Buried in soil, it disappears over a period of five years. Soniah comes in small, medium, and large sizes, all available in Black or Clay versions; the latter comes in a range of muted hues, from blue to rusty-red and gray. Presented at an exhibition curated by Rossana Orlandi during Milan Design City 2020, the entire Soniah collection will make its debut in a solo show in Paris at the end of fall 2020. Photographs© Yakusha Design.