Ro is an object born out of the need to capture a moment – that brief, fleeting pause in which matter, light and emotion come together as one. The lamp, designed by Ania Marciniszyn and Karolina Pawłowska, brings together two contrasting worlds: porcelain, with its soft, organic character, and aluminium, with its engineering precision. This interplay gives rise to a form that allows the viewer to enter a state of calm and balance.
Ro is the first joint project by the two artists, and its story begins on Marszałkowska Street. It was there that Ania moved NODI Studio, becoming Karolina’s neighbour. They met at the opening of the new space and discovered that, despite their different formal languages, their approach to the material is surprisingly similar. Both work by hand, treating the process as a key element in the creation of an object – time-consuming, demanding, and allowing the artist’s touch to be left in the form.
Material at the heart of the design
The inspiration for the lamp was specific: the image of ice cream served in a metal cup. The combination of coolness and pleasure, austerity and softness, became the impetus for creating an object that would capture a similar state of suspension. The aluminium base – which feels cool to the touch – is paired with a porcelain shade which, when the light is switched on, takes on a more intense orange hue. This transformation lies at the heart of the design: light alters not only the perception of the object, but also the relationship between the materials.
Two aluminium variants
The lamp’s base comes in two versions. The first has been hand-polished – precise, yet retaining subtle traces of the craftsmanship involved. The second remains closer to the raw form of the casting, with a distinctive texture and a darker, more subdued surface. Both variants emphasise the importance of the process, which for Ania and Karolina is just as significant as the final result.
When switched off, the lamp resembles a sculptural object, in which the porcelain shade and aluminium base exist in a neutral relationship. When the light is switched on, the balance of forces shifts – the thin layer of porcelain begins to dominate, introducing softness and intimacy into the space. Ro strikes a balance between practical function and the autonomy of form, leaving the viewer room for their own interpretation.
The design is, in a way, a story about the coexistence of materials, their ambivalence, and how light can give an object a new dimension. Ro does not resolve the tension between austerity and delicacy – it maintains it in a state of equilibrium, allowing it to shift in line with the user’s experience. Simple and beautiful!
PROFIT Development was the partner for the launch of the Ro lamp.
source: press materials
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