Crisalide by Draga & Aurel is a sculptural lighting collection created by the Italian design studio Draga & Aurel and presented with Todd Merrill Studio. The collection debuted at Design Miami and includes a monumental hanging pendant and a pair of wall sconces. Each piece explores the visual depth of layered glass and internal illumination. The lamps are produced through collaboration with a Venetian glassblowing studio, where Murano glassmaking traditions inform the fabrication process.
The lighting pieces use overlapping layers of hand-blown colored glass formed into ovoid structures. Small air bubbles remain visible within the material as traces of the glassblowing process. A precision LED line runs through the interior of each piece, illuminating the layered glass from within. The lamps are fabricated by hand in the studio’s Como atelier and completed in Venice through traditional glassworking techniques.
Image Credit: Todd Merrill Studio, Draga & Aurel
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Artisanal-tech Hybrid Lighting
- Blending hand-blown glass with integrated precision LEDs creates novel product categories that merge traditional craftsmanship aesthetics with smart-lighting functionality.
- Layered Material Illumination
- Overlapping translucent layers and internal light sources generate new design languages that exploit depth, color diffusion, and optical effects for experiential environments.
- Heritage Craft Collaboration
- Partnerships between contemporary designers and regional craft ateliers enable premium provenance narratives and bespoke production models that reshape supply chains.
Where This Applies
- Interior Design
- High-end residential and hospitality interiors stand to adopt sculptural glass lighting as focal elements that redefine spatial ambience and client expectations.
- Luxury Lighting Manufacturing
- Manufacturers of premium luminaires may integrate artisanal glass techniques with modular LED systems to create limited-run collections that command higher margins.
- Cultural Tourism and Craft Workshops
- Design-driven travel and studio-visit experiences can be augmented by immersive glassmaking demonstrations and retail of exclusive pieces that link tourism to tangible craft economies.
