Japanese design studio Nendo has launched  a new lamp called ‘Bi-color washi’ that’s made from 3D molded paper.

Nendo’s ‘Bi-color washi’ is a lightweight stacking lamp made from 3D-molded paper.

The lamp was designed in collaboration with traditional Japanese paper company Taniguchi Aoya Washi from Tottori Prefecture in western Japan. Famous for its 3D paper molding technique, Taniguchi Aoya Washi is the country's only domestic producer of three-dimensional washi.

Washi is made by passing a solution of water and mulberry pulp through fine screens which collect the pulp. The screens are then dried with the pulp forming fine paper sheets which can be peeled off. Rather than pasting sheets of washi together to create forms, Taniguchi Aoya uses the same process to create seamless three-dimensional forms.

After experimenting with dyes, Nendo realized that it was possible to create a lampshade with multicolored surfaces. While dark or bright colors are used on the exterior surfaces, the lampshade’s interior is light and reflective so that the light can be diffused.

The lightweight shades can be stacked to keep distribution and storage costs to a minimum.

The lamps will be sold exclusively through Seibu department store. For more information visit www.aoyawashi.co.jp

Photography by Akihiro Yoshida.

About the designers: Oki Sato was born in Toronto and  graduated with a master's degree in architecture from Waseda University in Tokyo. He formed Japanese design firm Nendo in 2002 after an inspiring graduation trip to the Milan Design Furniture Fair. In Japanese "nendo" means free-form clay, a soft, fluid substance that symbolizes the way the company's founders wanted to work. Since its launch, Nendo has has since become one of the most prolific design firms in the world famed for its minimalist aesthetic and collaborations with a broad range of brands, including Cappellini, Moroso, Bisazza, Tod's, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Baccarat, Camper, Puma, Starbucks and Coca-Cola.