DAVIDE GROPPI 2026: VERA AND UMASI

Images courtesy of Davide Groppi

The Art of Making Light Move and Disappear

With VERA and UMASI, Italian lighting designer Davide Groppi explores two distinct interpretations of light, transforming its presence, movement and perception into compelling design experiences. Light becomes an exercise in perception and movement in Davide Groppi’s 2026 lighting novelties. Introduced during Milan Design Week 2026, VERA and UMASI reveal two different yet complementary approaches to the Italian designer’s enduring exploration of light as both an expressive element and an integral part of spatial experience.

VERA

VERA plays with the delicate boundary between reality and illusion. Designed as an essential, almost ethereal object, the table lamp presents a transparent glass cone that appears to contain nothing when switched off. Once illuminated, however, a seemingly suspended bulb emerges within, creating an intriguing visual effect. Its minimalist construction combines a cylindrical painted aluminium base, a transparent glass cone and a reflector positioned halfway up, while an upward-directed, narrow-beam light source produces its distinctive illumination. An integrated dimmer allows the intensity to be adjusted, with finishes available in matt black, matt bronze and natural aluminium. VERA reveals light through an unexpected interplay of presence and absence.

VERA

Where VERA explores the illusion of light, UMASI introduces movement as its defining characteristic. Conceived as a floor lamp with diffuse illumination, it features a lampshade suspended along a vertical wire, moving between ceiling and floor to create different lighting configurations. Its soft, warm glow passes through three layers of PETG coated with paper, producing an even diffusion that subtly transforms the surrounding atmosphere. The lampshade can be repositioned to adapt to the rhythm and needs of everyday living, making light an evolving element within the space rather than a fixed source.

VERA

Presented by Interni Cipta Selaras

UMASI

Available in two sizes, UMASI comes in both floor and suspension versions, the latter named UMASI S. The floor model incorporates a cable winder that accommodates the movement of the lampshade, while an optional black sheet allows further customisation of its appearance and lighting effect.

UMASI

Although distinct in form and function, both novelties reflect Davide Groppi’s ability to challenge conventional perceptions of lighting. VERA makes light appear almost magically, while UMASI gives it freedom to move. Together, they demonstrate how light can transcend its utilitarian purpose, becoming an expressive design language that shapes the atmosphere and experience of contemporary interiors.

UMASI