Lamps and fixtures by designer/sculptor Rico Espinet for Robert Abbey Lighting, Inc., couples perspicuous line and warm, often atmospheric light into collections that affirm their environment. Drawing from his background in sculpture, architecture and a fascination with the beauty of mundane objects, Rico’s lighting is rooted in a generous vocabulary of form.

The Marina Collection evolved directly from Rico’s sculptural installations work. Inspired by a common drinking glass, large, light retaining blown vessels often found in Espinet’s installations were the starting point for the Marina votive. The votive grew into a collection of fixtures that would later inspire the Nina collection. Much like it’s precursor, Nina lamps and fixtures combine subtle form and clean lines.

The reductive sensibility of Rico’s line finds texture in the Atlantic collection’s Koffi, Jax, Grid and Kobi lamps. Just as the Atlantic signifies the exchange between old and new worlds, the collection under this title is a synthesis of a vast array of traditions. From African, Minoan and 20th c. art to the vernacular forms of everyday, the collection reflects the designer’s fascination with the fibers of visual culture.

Although Rico Espinet continues to extend his collection, his first designs are still classics. The Monk Lamp, originally fashioned with a microphone base and plumbing pipe, was a homemade reading lamp Rico had made for himself. When a photo shoot by Todd Eberle of Rico’s studio landed the lamp in both a House & Garden article and a Hunter Douglas ad campaign, Robert Abbey invited him to design a line to manufacture. The Scribe lamp, influenced by the Monk lamp was his first design for them.

Through Robert Abbey, we have recently released a number of new collections not pictured yet. Please reach back to view upcoming introductions.