30 Apr 2026
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Reading time: 6 minutes
Messaggio lamps by Dorota Koziara at Salone del Mobile 2026
During this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan, the illu brand presented the “Design by Dorota Koziara” collection as part of the exhibition of the Polish ceramics brand Tubądzin. In the space dedicated to Dorota Koziara’s work, the MESSAGGIO lamp collection had its international premiere.
Salone Internazionale del Mobile is the 64th edition of the world’s largest interiors fair. This year, Milan was visited by 316,000 guests, and more than 1,900 exhibitors presented their offerings, 36% of which were international brands.
In Milan, the MESSAGGIO lamp collection was presented in the context of Dorota Koziara’s many years of collaboration with the Tubądzin Group. The exhibition of the Polish ceramics brand represented a deliberate departure from the classic product presentation in favour of a narrative focused on the design process, in which the journey from idea to form is given equal importance to the final effect. In this context, the MESSAGGIO lamp collection by Dorota Koziara fits into this story, highlighting the relationship between an idea and its material expression.
MESSAGGIO – light as a message
The MESSAGGIO collection, designed by Dorota Koziara, grows out of a personal reflection on light – its symbolic and functional significance. As the designer emphasises, light is one of the most fundamental and, at the same time, one of the most elusive phenomena: it accompanies humanity from the very beginning, enables us to discover the world, shapes atmosphere, and provides a sense of safety. It can also be perceived as a phenomenon with an almost mystical dimension – a sign, a message, a link between what is visible and what remains beyond perception. It is precisely from this observation that the name of the collection derives – messaggio, meaning “message”.
Koziara’s authorial narrative is also expressed in the form of the Messaggio lamps, evoking a light, floating sheet of paper – as if carrying a message through space. The inspiration came from observing sheet metal during production, which, in large formats, can behave surprisingly softly, undulating and settling almost like paper. This tension between material and lightness, between structure and the impression of ephemerality, is one of the project’s key elements.
In the design approach, light itself also played an important role as architectural material. As the designer notes, lighting is one of the most important tools for shaping space – both in public and private projects – making it possible to build atmosphere and define how an interior is perceived.
Colour is equally important in the collection, as, like light, it influences emotions and the perception of space. The project responds to the contemporary need for individualisation: alongside classic shades, it offers broad customisation possibilities, including selecting colours from the RAL palette and combining different finishes within a single form, also by pairing contrasting colours on the inside and outside of the lamp.
MESSAGGIO by Dorota Koziara is the first complete lamp family in illu. Here we find pendant models, wall lights and floor lamps, as well as smaller forms. Individual elements can function on their own or in expansive compositions, tailored to the architectural concept.
