Cassina Lighting Arrives in South Africa: Sculptural Italian Design Through True Design

Since 1927, Cassina has been at the vanguard of Italian design, shaping the transition from artisanal craft to industrial production while never losing its devotion to artistry. Known globally for its furniture, Cassina has also carved out a distinctive legacy in lighting – objects that go beyond function to become sculptural presences in the home. Available in South Africa through True Design, these pieces bring the poetry of Italian light into local interiors.

Among the most eclectic is the Ficupala floor lamp, a playful yet sophisticated design that sits between postmodern and Art Deco. Its organic silhouette recalls the plant world, while Murano glass and metal meet in a layered expression of texture and form.

Cassina’s Wax, Stone, Light series pushes material boundaries further, with Murano glass blocks blown inside cast-iron moulds, then hand-finished with wax. Each piece carries subtle irregularities, ensuring no two are ever the same.

Historic collaborations also define the collection. Charles Eames’ Helena suspension lamp, originally created to illuminate a church interior, casts a celestial glow through its aluminium dome punctuated with tiny star cut-outs. Similarly, the Constellation chandelier takes inspiration from the night sky, pairing Bollicosa diffusers with a black painted frame for an architectural take on starlight.

Other highlights include the exotic Singapore Sling pendant, recalling colonial parlours with fruit-inspired Venetian glass forms, and the Bollicosa Nautilus outdoor lamp, whose bubbled glass surface appears almost fossilised, bringing a tactile quality to exterior spaces.

Through True Design, South African audiences can now access Cassina’s lighting pieces that merge heritage, material innovation, and atmospheric presence. More than illumination, they are design statements that carry the Cassina spirit into every corner of the home.