Creative Mind: Omer Arbel
The restlessly experimental co-founder of global lighting mainstay Bocci harnesses deep technical prowess to devise intricate fixtures that captivate the imagination
Trained architect Omer Arbel quickly learned he prefers creating intuitively and improvisationally more than painstakingly wading through the red tape required to design buildings. The epiphany compelled the Jerusalem-born polymath to launch Bocci in 2005. With operations split between Milan, Berlin, and Vancouver, British Columbia, the lighting studio-lab-factory constructs wondrously intricate pieces that emanate from Arbel’s drive to explore novel production methods and the inherent properties of materials.
Return to form: Arbel hasn’t completely abandoned architecture: He recently unveiled plans for a development of luxury homes that seamlessly blend into the Pacific Northwest’s emerald forestry. Each low-slung dwelling is sheathed in spherical burls—sourced from regional cedar trees, which are dying off due to climate change—that will foster ecosystems of moss and lichen.
Up next: Bocci is introducing the 141, a winged fixture formed from puddles of hot glass overlapping a metallic string. “I’ve spent a long time pursuing complexity,” Arbel says, “and now I’m interested in seeing how simple a method I could make and still achieve something totally magical.” Arbel’s oeuvre will also be spotlighted in a career-spanning exhibition curated by David Alhadeff, The Future Perfect founder and a past Galerie Creative Mind, during Milan Design Week in April.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Spring Issue under the headline “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.
