Formakami Pendant JH5, Shade Paper/Bracket

Jaime Hayon’s Formakami pendant brings the familiar form of the Asian paper lantern into a contemporary design language. Designed in 2015, the series draws on a centuries-old tradition in which lanterns appeared in many settings and their colours, shapes and sizes could carry different meanings. Hayon’s interpretation steps away from those cultural conventions: the Formakami lamps are presented in white, with an emphasis on the lantern’s shape and the character of its paper.

For the JH5, a handmade ivory-white rice-paper shade brings together varied sizes and forms to create a layered, sculptural silhouette. The paper’s light visual presence is balanced by black-stained oak details and a black fabric cord, giving the pendant a restrained contrast rather than a purely monochrome effect. These considered material and colour choices connect the warmth of a traditional lantern reference with a distinctly modern expression.