BENLLUM has made its debut in the last nude section of the Hábitat Fair in Valencia, held from September 30th to October 4th. The lamp collection raises awareness about plastic usage and waste, combining its various uses and applications for the future, such as crochet and 3D printing. It also draws inspiration from the style of an early 20th-century Valencian artist, José Benlliure Ortiz.
Inspired by traditional sewing methods and craftsmanship, Benllum immerses us in the world of crochet made from reused plastic bags, collaborating with the artisans of VORAMAR fanplastic, who practice this custom daily, and with the company Gamuza Craft, which contributes high-quality, locally sourced blue leather, referencing clean oceans.
Its impressionist style and subtle details with bold colours sparked the creation of this collection. This debut lamp showcases curiosity and functionality, with its colours becoming more apparent when illuminated, much like the nuances in an artist's paintings. The outer shade is crafted with No. 5 thick crochet and high-density plastic bags cut into long strips, rolled into balls, and given a second life. For a touch of colour, a conical shade is added to the inner part of the lamp, created through the process of thermofusion, which involves fusing two layers of low-density plastic used as outer lining. Inside, small pieces of coloured plastic bags are added and heated to bond the three layers into one. The colours of the 1905 painting "Old Men from the Asylum of Asís" inspire the internal shade's design, with these colours becoming visible when the lamp is turned on.
Once assembled, the pieces are sewn together with the same plastic thread. The lamp uses a USB-C rechargeable LED bulb, attached using a 3D-printed component, blending traditional craftsmanship with new technologies.
BENLLUM began its development in a course at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Aeroespacial y Diseño Industrial at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), focused on the importance of craftsmanship applied to a museum context.
The student and entrepreneur Rori Bonet, a final-year student of Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development at UPV, debuts this lamp collection at the Hábitat Fair in Valencia this year. The collection's goal is to raise awareness about plastic use and waste while demonstrating its various uses and applications for the future, combining new technologies with traditional practices like crochet and drawing inspiration from art.
More information:
Aurora Bonet Prieto
[email protected]
www.voramarfanplastic.com