Ingo Maurer began designing exclusive lamps under his own name in Germany in 1966. The lamps he designs are as much expressive works of art as they are a source of light, and Maurer quickly became known for thinking outside the box. The first Bulb lamp, a hand-blown lamp in the form of an oversized light bulb, entered the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York just three years after its launch.

From the outset, Maurer worked closely with established photographers, who had the privilege of documenting his creations and subsequent projects.

Artistic lighting design

The company flourished, and in the 1980s, Ingo Maurer began collaborating with a number of young designers and creators with the aim of continuing to produce creative German design. In 1984, he created YaYaHo—a creative collection of light sources—which was an instant hit. Mauer received several requests to produce custom versions of the YaYaHo range and, some time later, Ingo Mauer was commissioned to create an entire exhibition in Paris. For the first time, he had the opportunity create lighting not intended for mass production. After the exhibition, Mauer continued to create light installations, which he calls projects, in everything from subway stations to museums around the world, as well as at a fashion show for Issey Miyake in 1999.

One of Ingo Maurer’s most famous designer lamps is the winged light bulb Lucellino from 1992, inspired by Porca Miseria! from 1994, which is a lamp made of porcelain shards. His designs have won a number of prizes and awards in the world of design, including the George Jensen Prize in Copenhagen in 2003 and the Compasso d’Oro in 2011. Ingo Maurer currently has showrooms in New York, Munich and São Paolo. The company employs more than 60 people and continues to create exclusive and eye-catching German design, where light installation projects are just as important as the lamps.