Pilar Table Lamp in Lacquered Papier Mâché and Fringe

Artist and designer Hannah Bigeleisen creates sculptural lighting fixtures and other furnishings that are characterized by architectural forms, dazzling patterns and clean geometric lines.

Bigeleisen was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her family moved several times, which meant that she spent time in Minnesota, Georgia, Alaska and New York. At an early age, Bigeleisen found herself intrigued by the works of minimalist and Conceptual artists who thrived during the early to the mid-20th century. She frequently explored the art spaces and museums in all of the cities in which her family settled.

At the age of 17, Bigeleisen moved to Ohio and enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she met her future husband and fellow furniture designer Steven Bukowski. After earning her BFA in 2010, Bigeleisen decided to move to Brooklyn, New York, but relocated to Providence, Rhode Island, and completed the MFA program at RISD. The artist subsequently moved back to Brooklyn, where she finally put down roots and opened her design practice in 2016.

In addition to furniture, Bigeleisen creates sculptures, prints and paintings. Her series of Stack Lamps could be seen as representative of each of her pursuits. Inspired by architectural structures, Bigeleisen’s stately handmade Stack Lamps comprise wood frames covered in plaster cloth and lacquered papier-mâché. They resemble speckled stone monuments and have been lauded as playful and refreshingly innovative. 

Bigeleisen’s work has been spotlighted in the pages of Architectural Digest and Interior Design. In 2018 she teamed up with the fashion designers at Blluemade for the brand’s autumn/winter fashion campaign. Bigeleisen also collaborated with her husband on a collection of furniture and an immersive installation for Sight Unseen.

On 1stDibs, find Hannah Bigeleisen lighting, tables and more.