Designed by Buddiman Ong and available in the UK and Europe exclusively through Gong, the captivating Ketang lights are skilfully made using paper made from the fibres of banana trees.
New for 2024, the Kentang Lighting Collection stems from lighting designer, Buddiman Ong’s love of handmade paper. The paper for this latest collection is handmade in Bali by paper artisans using banana trunks from their own gardens.
Jo Plismy, lighting designer and founder of Gong comments, “We have worked with Buddiman Ong for a few years now and his objective first and foremost is the light quality. In this new collection, it’s fascinating how the light is diffused through the layers of paper when they are placed perpendicularly to the light source, resulting in various light qualities that create depth and warmth. The irregular, undulating edges of the paper add a sense of broken symmetry to the pieces.”
Each sheet of paper for the Kentang lights is custom made in a small workshop, using an innovative yet low-tech paper making method by a Japanese paper artisan, Naruse Kiyoshi. He harvests the banana trunks from his own garden for their paper. Jo says “We are excited that for this collection, we know the exact origin of the material, not to mention that the native banana plants grow very fast, making it a sustainable choice.” Talented artisans then turn this paper into the Kentang Collection, shaping the lamps by hand and creating the structure with oxidised beaten copper.
Jo continues, “The character of the banana paper really shines through in the Kentang lights. I think this is thanks to Buddiman’s first rule of thumb which is to always work on hand directly with the paper first, to gain a sense of its nature, understand its charm and manipulate it without losing its intrinsic character.” Tactile and timeless, these elegant lights, including a captivating array of pendant and table lamp designs, would add a sense of tranquility and calm to any space.
When delivered, included in the box of each Kentang light is a card signed off by all of the makers involved in the process, giving the artisans a sense of ownership and the customer an appreciation and connection to the makers.
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