On Her Studio’s 20th Anniversary, Lighting Designer Lindsey Adelman Debuts Two Cosmos-Inspired Collections

Lindsey Adelman began her meditation and lighting practices in the same year. Now, as the New York City-based designer celebrates her studio’s 20th anniversary, the two are still deeply intertwined. Known for complex, organic, one-of-a-kind chandeliers, pendants, and sconces, Adelman’s ideas are born from the studied state of calm she can achieve. “It's almost like the art of daydreaming, where I can see something and I don't really rush it,” she says of her creative process. “I will bring it into form when it's ready.”

With her two new collections—Hieros Gamos, illuminated globes delicately strung together with decorative jewelry-like metalwork that launched last week at The Future Perfect in Los Angeles during Frieze L.A., and Andromeda, galactic chandeliers and sconces debuting at Matter and Shape in Paris on March 6—Adelman is diving into the cosmos. The designer has long been fascinated by the unknown, citing the Egyptian mystery schools—ancient institutions from 3,000 BCE dedicated to finding inner knowledge—as a source of constant inspiration. The larger the question, the more she similarly feels the need to look within. “The cosmos seems mysterious, but in a way, so are we,” she says. Although none of her works are prescriptive, the designer uses symbols to create “a visual language that captures the essence of who we are and what we want to communicate to one another.” The surfaces of the Hieros Gamos orbs feature gold enamel inscriptions that might reference “ancestral rituals or ceremonies,” she describes. Andromeda’s blown-glass rocks form clusters either coming into being or just blown apart.

In both, there are mysteries still to uncover. Adelman is keeping the cards close to her chest. “The interesting thing about being a designer is that the work still functions without people needing to know all of the narratives that I might have been curious about when I developed them,” she says. What is revealing is that she chose to sketch Andromeda on graph paper. “It's not usually how I operate, but there’s something really settling about it,” she says. Perhaps, looking inward can bring a little balance, order, and harmony to the world.