Ingo Maurer

Ingo Maurer (1932 - 2019) was a German designer known as the "poet of light" for his artful and unconventional lighting designs. Maurer was born in Reichenau Island and trained as a typesetter before studying graphic design in Munich. He moved to the United States in 1960, where he worked as a freelance graphic designer in New York and San Francisco for companies such as IBM. Maurer returned to Germany in 1963 and founded his studio Design M, later renamed to Ingo Maurer GmbH, to produce his lighting designs.

In 1966, Maurer produced the Bulb Lamp, a table lamp shaped like a light bulb with a smaller light bulb nested within. Bulb quickly became an iconic example of Pop art, and it was added to MoMA's permanent collection in 1969. His YaYaHo low-voltage wire system (1984) was an instant success, and he was commissioned to create special versions for the Villa Medici in Rome and Institut Francais d'Architecture in Paris. In addition to light fixtures, Maurer also designed sculptures and lighting installations for public spaces. He has received numerous awards for his work including an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London (2006), the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany (2010) and a Compass d'Oro award for career achievement (2011).