Mariyo Yahi for Sirrah

MARIYO YAGI (Japan, 1948–2024) for Sirrah.
“Garbo” lamp, 1970s.
Nylon and metal.
Measurements: 190 x 25 x 25 cm.
Conceived in the 1970s for the Italian firm Sirrah, this piece transforms light into an almost sculptural experience, enveloping it in a delicate curtain of threads that appears to float in space.Its design is based on a metal structure with clean lines from which a spectacular surface of textile or nylon fringes descends. When turned on, the light is filtered through the numerous nylon threads. Behind this apparent simplicity lies a body of research deeply rooted in Mariyo Yagi’s creative universe. The Japanese designer developed much of her work around the concept of “Nawa,” a Japanese word associated with string or rope and, in a broader sense, with the idea of connection. This focus on fibers, threads, and the relationships between matter and space would eventually become one of the recurring elements of her artistic practice. In “Garbo,” hundreds of filaments construct a kind of soft architecture that alters our perception of space as we observe it.The project was developed in collaboration with Dino Gavina and Studio Simon, and later produced by Sirrah in Italy. Contemporary documentation and specialized catalogs date various versions of the “Garbo” series to between 1973 and 1976. The name “Garbo” is said to have been proposed by Dino Gavina as a reference to the actress Greta Garbo.
Mariyo Yagi began her training in interior architecture and landscape design in 1966 at the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts. Beginning in 1973, she worked for several years as an assistant to the renowned sculptor and architect Isamu Noguchi. Her subsequent work would occupy a hybrid space between design, sculpture, installation, textiles, and performance.