Looking at Artek’s latest White Collection of lighting by designer Ville Kokkonen, I’m reminded of the auspicious trilogy by filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski. These three films—simply titled Red, Blue, and White—purported to quantify the wide spectrum of human emotion via ascribing a primary color. Kokkonen’s White does much the same. The extraordinarily vibrant and luminous pieces reduce the concept of illumination down to its bare, beautiful essence.

White Collection. Designed by Ville Kokkonen for Artek.

The White Series is Available in Floor, Table, and Ceiling Models

The intention with White is to replace the typical decorative flourish of much contemporary lighting with the functional glow of light itself. To that end, each piece in the White Collection is simple frame birch plywood painted white and encased in a transparent plexiglass shade. Wattage of the light source for the different pieces ranges from 14 for the small table light up to 147 for the large wall lamp.

Recently shown at the Milan Furniture Fair, White is the product of Artek and Kokkonen’s lengthy investigations into the nature of or light. That is to say that both designer and manufacturer were seeking to discover what we need and thus redefine what we desire. The result is a new way of looking at light and an enticing option for consumers: rather than anticipating ambitious adornments, users can now look forward to the formal purity of a veritable block of light, its pragmatic incandescence glowing softly and lighting the way to future illuminations.

About the Manufacturer: Iconic Finnish manufacturer Artek has roots among the ethos of equally iconic designer Alvar Aalto. The famed sculptor of birch plywood is known for his development of “systems furniture”—versatile concepts and fluid pieces that allow rapid customization and enhanced adaptability. Artek’s line of furnishings and lighting is built of this heritage, as the firm “continuously searches for new materials and questions existing solutions for sustainable design.” Artek has collaborated with some of the world’s most accomplished architects and designers, including Eero Aarnio, Naoto Fukasawa, and Harri Koskinen.