Profile
A story. A story of lamps.
It all started in a small laboratory in the historical centre of the Italian town of Piacenza during the late 1980s. Davide Groppi was inventing and producing his first lamps and decided simply to use his own name for the name of the company. Creative independence and passionate, unconventional management have allowed him, over time, to learn and develop his own brand of original and unique products, currently distributed the world over.
Simplicity, weightlessness, emotion and creative invention are the fundamental components of each lamp or lighting project designed by Davide Groppi. Davide Groppi creations are never conceived as just lights or lamps. They come about through the need to give life to something that is necessary or significant. Some of the things that inspire these ideas are works of art, ready made objects, magic, the desire to make things with his hands or simply the urge to play and have fun with light.
Light in the hands of Davide Groppi is a wonderful way to seduce and excite. Hi has always worked with a faithful group of collaborators who share his vision and help him to develop ideas and bring them to fruition. Over the course of many years of experience, Davide Groppi has developed various products and shows in collaboration with companies specialising in design such as De Padova, Boffi, Paola Lenti and Christofle. There have also been many international projects the world over, including the illumination of houses, stores and museums. Davide Groppi has been particularly active in the area of hospitality (hotels and restaurants).
Some of the most famous chefs in the world have chosen lighting solutions by Davide Groppi for their venues, including Massimo Bottura, Massimiliano Alajmo, Moreno Cedroni and Giancarlo Perbellini. Davide Groppi has also been recognised for excellence by the press and received prestigious awards for his lighting creations, including the Edida Award in 2011 for the Sampei lamp, the Design Plus Award in 2014 for the Neuro lamp, as well as two awards at the 23rd edition of the ADI Compasso d’Oro Awards for the Nulla lamp and for the Sampei lamp, and the ADI Compasso d’Oro Mention of Honour upon our rechargeable lamp Tetatet in 2016.
The ADI Compasso d’Oro Award is considered the oldest and most prestigious recognition for design in the world.
Biography
Davide Groppi By Davide Groppi.
I was born in a summer’s day of 1963.
My parents decided to call me Davide without considering I would be making lamps and working with light for the better part of my life. In fact, my name backwards is Edivad, which is a lot closer to Edison than Davide is to Thomas, so it worked out in the end. For a guy who works with Edison light bulbs, with a little creative imagination, you might even think of Edivad as a sign of destiny … Nomen Omen.
My father taught me not only how to put things together and create from spare parts, but also how to appreciate beauty and construct things solidly. Together, we built a pinball machine, a telegraph and … a lamp. I began working in the field of mechanical design in 1985, but it was only in 1988 that I began conceiving, putting together and selling lamps on my own.
I don’t really know why it had to be lamps and not something else. One thing is for sure: lamps gave me a great opportunity to express my personality and make a practical living of it.
My first laboratory was a little room in the centre of Piacenza, Italy. Then, in 1994, I had the great fortune of meeting Maddalena De Padova, who, without any explanation, decided to purchase 40 prototypes of one of my lamps (Baloo) and exhibit them at the trade show “Salone del Mobile” in Milano. It was an exciting moment in my career I will never forget because only then did I realise I could be successful at doing what I had dreamed of.
After that, I met other people who promised to distribute what I was making. Prestigious companies became interested in my lamps and collaborations with firms such as Boffi, Mutina, Paola Lenti, Agatha Ruiz De La Prada and, more recently, Christofle, helped to create an international distribution network for Davide Groppi creations.
Of course, I have not been alone in this venture. My collaborators have been instrumental in helping me to prosper and grow. They are great people with whom I work every day to develop our projects and make our dreams come true.
