Dallas Designer May Poon Wins Prestigious Award for Mikko Light Sculpture

The world of lighting design is full of inspirational pieces, but one caught our eye for its exceptional style and craftsmanship.

The Mikko architectural hanging light sculpture is a work of art. It has two forms, one finished in brushed aluminum, the other finished in gloss black with black matte accents. Each form has 228 individual folds of aluminum, inspired by modular origami folds, and within the folds, there are one-watt warm LEDs with their own LED engines. The folds are woven together with aircraft cable to create a dynamic sculpture in constant fluid motion.

The light was co-designed by May Poon, a designer with Dallas-based design and architectural firm Wilson Associates and was awarded the Best of BDNY: Annual Product Design Competition in New York last month. Her co-designer and manufacturer is Littman Brands Contract in California, through Troy Lighting’s custom division.

“I am thrilled MIKKO has received this recognition and am exceedingly pleased with Littman Brands Contract’s execution of my design concept,” said Poon. “To the untrained eye, a square of paper is but a scrap, but to the origami artist, it’s full of possibility. In this case, Littman Brands Contract turned a sheet of metal into a sculpture of light and form.”

This light sculpture is also brightening the lives of disadvantaged and underserved children. Littman Brands Contract launched the Brighten the World Mikko Campaign to benefit the Dallas-based The Wilson Foundation, which addresses the needs of children in South Africa affected by the large AIDS/HIV and TB pandemics.

As part of the Brighten the World fundraising program, the Mikko light sculpture is available to hotel and commercial management groups for purchase by online auction at www.littmanbrandscontract.com/MIKKO. The estimated value of the light sculpture is $25,000, and all profits from the sale will be donated to The Wilson Foundation.

Bidders can submit their bid online, with the auction running through April 29, 2016. In addition to the online auction of the MIKKO hanging light sculpture, Littman Brands Contract will also manufacture mini-MIKKO pendant designs, available for purchase by the public with proceeds to benefit the foundation.

“We are humbled by Littman Brands Contract’s generosity with this ongoing and generous fundraising campaign,” said John Canterbury, executive director of The Wilson Foundation. “We are also so happy to be given the opportunity to raise awareness of The Wilson Foundation’s mission to address the needs of disadvantaged and undeserved children in South Africa who suffer extreme poverty and are affected by illness including the current HIV/AIDS and TB pandemics.”