Light Before Architecture Long before permanent buildings, electricity, or even metalworking, humans shaped light. In the Indian subcontinent, this shaping took the form of the diya — a simple oil lamp made from earth, flame, and intention. Diyas are among the world’s oldest decorative lighting objects still in continuous use. They are not merely tools …
Light as Culture, Not Just Illumination Across Latin America, light is inseparable from celebration. It marks festivals, honours faith, animates streets, and transforms ordinary spaces into places of gathering. Lighting is rarely neutral. It is expressive, colourful, and deeply human. From punched tin lanterns in Mexico to woven fibre shades in the Andes, Latin American …
Where Light Becomes Presence In Hindu temples, light is never incidental. It is not simply a way to see – it is a way to encounter. Flame, shadow, and glow shape how the sacred is perceived, guiding the body and the mind toward reverence. Unlike modern interiors, which aim for even illumination, temples are designed …
Light as Offering, Light as Impermanence Long before light became a matter of switches and sockets, it was something carried, tended, and offered. In Buddhist tradition, light is not merely practical – it is symbolic. It represents clarity, wisdom, compassion, and the fragile nature of existence itself. Butter lamps, found in temples, monasteries, and homes …