Designer Davide Groppi

‹ ›

“I don’t particularly love the word ‘design,’ simply because I’m not exactly sure what it means. I prefer saying I write lamps, or that I write stories with light.”

Eclectic: there’s no better word for Davide Groppi. Inspired by Thomas Edison and Caravaggio, he combines industrial and artistic values to design—or, as he prefers, to invent—works that are both breathlessly expressive and technologically innovative.

Growing up in Piacenza, Italy, Groppi assisted his father in building various projects as a hobby—including the first lamp he ever assembled. Groppi noticed that the lamp’s light produced emotion in a way that their other projects—a telegraph, a pinball machine—couldn’t; there was something essential to light as both a force and a material.

As he grew and learned, Groppi would come to understand this essence. He found particular resonance in the work of renaissance painters; their use of chiaroscuro (literally, “lightdark”), a technique that emphasizes a sensual contrast between light and darkness, is brought to life in many of Groppi’s designs, such as the famous Tetatet, with its light so fiercely yet intimately confined, sculpting light in darkness.

From a small workshop in Piacenza, where Davide Groppi founded his eponymous studio in 1988, has grown a new establishment in the world of lighting design, both through Groppi’s discerning eye in selecting other designers for his studio and in Groppi’s own prolific inventions.

Through his commitment to his core values of simplicity, weightlessness, emotion, creative invention, and amazement, Groppi’s inventions are endlessly diverse, from the Simbiosi to the Moon to the 2019 AZ Award-winning Meridiana, each is unique, while still feeling distinctly of Davide Groppi.

Lights Designed by Designer Davide Groppi


Flash Wall

Like its sibling, Infinito, Flash wall light is a simple stainless steel strip, stretched between two points up to 12m apart, along which runs an integrated LED strip. Flash, however, is a mere 9mm wide, and intended to face downwards for direct lighting. Ideal for retail and commercial settings that require excellent illumination. This orientation is particularly useful in locations with high ceilings, where Infinito's upwards-directed light would be mostly lost before it reflected. An homage to the comic book superhero, Flash exists as a strip of pure light in your world. See the "Accessories" tab below to explore the many ways in which you can combine and customize Flash and Infinito for your home or hospitality needs.	Davide Groppi	No

Flash Wall


Simbiosi Suspension

Out of the one comes many: Davide Groppi's Simbiosi suspension light begins with the idea of a chandelier deconstructed into individual lights, which can be arranged and hung in any arrangement you desire. However, these individual lamps need each other to “live.” Thus, the extraordinarily thin wire that connects and powers Simbiosi is a bright red, accentuating the relationship between them and their continued need for one another. Though apart, they are still one. Metal casings with 15W dimmable LEDs, the remarkably low power requirements of the individual lamps is what allows Simbiosi chandelier to use its signature low-profile wire, making Simbiosi a powerful metaphor for love, friendship, and community in the digital age.	Davide Groppi	No

Simbiosi Suspension


Trick Track Ceiling/Wall

Davide Groppi's Trick Track ceiling/wall light is another minimalist Groppi light which subdues its own physical form in order to give focus to the light it produces. Alone, it is a simple feature spot with an adjustable head to redirect the light as your needs and tastes change over time. As the foundation of a system, however, it becomes a replacement for track lights, using its own cable to evoke track lighting, but with a sense of freedom and creativity most track lights cannot achieve. With the addition of a Davide Groppi Wall/Ceiling Rose accessory for power, Trick Track is designed to support multiple heads (consult your local safety codes for your maximum permitted number of lights on a single installation), making it a perfect feature lighting solution for any modern home, office, or retail space.	Davide Groppi	No

Trick Track Ceiling/Wall


Moon Suspension

Moon suspension light was born of a simple desire: to bring the haunting familiar presence of the Moon home. A luminous orb of Japanese paper, which is layered and folded to create a distinctive lunar surface of shadow and light that is unique to every individual Moon pendant. With its dimmer and several available sizes, Moon's warm and friendly presence can be as subtle or pronounced as you like. See the "Accessories" tab to install Moon suspension light in the 60, 80, or 120 sizes on a sloped ceiling, and the "Family & Similar" tab below to explore the other lighting possibilities offered by the Moon collection. Please note that Moon 200 cannot be installed on a sloped ceiling.	Davide Groppi	No

Moon Suspension


Infinito Wall

The Infinito wall light is a spatial concept; it is continuous light. This Davide Groppi design is a thin strip of stainless steel, 18mm wide and up to 12m long, that "cuts" through your space in a striking and bold way. Like many of Davide Groppi's lighting designs, Infinito is concerned with the nature and presence of light. It is a light broken down to its very essence, leaving only a trace, a line--and then not even that. Ultimately, Infinito becomes a concept: light apparently without source. Tremendously adaptable, Infinito can be stretched from wall to wall or ceiling to floor. Use it to illuminate large residential, retail, or commercial areas with indirect general light. See the Accessories tab below for the full range of accessories available to customize this versatile light.	Davide Groppi	No

Infinito Wall


Tetatet Portable Table

A masterpiece of intention in lighting, Davide Groppi's portable TeTaTeT table light creates an oasis of light in the darkness. This elegant yet soulful design invites those who enjoy admission within the border of light it sculpts to forget all else and focus on one another for the length of a drink, a meal, a conversation--or a lifetime. TeTaTeT's slender design was meticulously engineered and features a magnetic base to help it stay upright when jostled, which is particularly useful when you enjoy an intimate evening for two on the terrace under its warm glow. Updated in 2020 with a reengineered long-life battery and the latest LED technology to maximize energy efficiency, TeTaTeT table light now offers up to twelve hours of continuous use on a single charge. Moreover, Davide Groppi ingeniously integrated touch controls, making TeTaTeT not only a visual experience, but a sensual one.	Davide Groppi	No

Tetatet Portable Table


Nulla Recessed Ceiling

Nulla recessed ceiling light represents Davide Groppi’s attempt to achieve the impossible: the creation of light without a source. Although not quite able to attain this ambitious goal, Groppi got closer than anyone ever has: an 18mm hole in the ceiling--easily missed when the light is off--containing a high-power LED. Special optical technology diffuses Nulla recessed ceiling's light with a deft precision, embracing the chiaroscuro effect that marks so much of Groppi’s work. At long last, beauty comes from nothing. See the Family & Similar tab below for the dimmable variant, Nulla 25, or Nulla PL, engineered to bring Nulla's minimalist values to an exposed junction box.	Davide Groppi	No

Nulla Recessed Ceiling

Outdoor Lighting Sale ON NOW!

Designer Davide Groppi

Lights Designed by Designer Davide Groppi

SITE MAP

HELPFUL LINKS