The Somari Collection by LightArt Is a Lesson in Flexibility

In design, adaptability can be both a blessing and a curse. Adapt too quickly—chasing trends as they appear—and the ethos of an idea can dissolve just as fast. Yet refusing to adapt can be equally precarious, clinging to assumptions formed in a world that may no longer exist. Somari by LightArt offers a lesson in thoughtful evolution, bringing every step of the process under one roof. Featured previously at NeoCon 2025, the collection leverages advanced additive manufacturing with plant-based PLA, hinting at a more agile future for lighting design.

The approach also reframes the economics of production. Few businesses want to dedicate expensive warehouse space to inventory that may sit idle for months. With LightArt’s on-demand manufacturing model, components are produced only when specified, reducing the need for large inventories and the footprint required to store them. This shift is not merely logistical but environmental: by minimizing overproduction, the team can redirect resources toward refining design and material innovation. Developed through years of in-house research and fabrication trials, the process now takes place within LightArt’s U.S.-based manufacturing facilities, allowing the studio to maintain control over quality while keeping production responsive to project needs.

The Somari collection itself draws inspiration from the familiar glow of lantern light, reinterpreting that warmth through contemporary forms. Available in three distinct silhouettes—Saucer, Cylinder, and Sphere—each offered in small, medium, and large sizes, the pendants can be specified individually or arranged into stacked compositions up to eight feet in length. These configurations may run vertically or horizontally, allowing designers to build luminous columns, layered clusters, or quieter singular fixtures depending on the space.

Each pendant encloses a cylindrical Casper core that houses integrated LED lighting, delivering high lumen output with a color temperature range between 2700K and 4000K and a CRI of 90. Tunable white options further expand the collection’s flexibility, allowing lighting designers to shape the atmosphere of a space with precision.

Seven “Paper Series” colorways reinforce the lantern-like character of the shades—Shiro (matte ivory white), Halo (clear), Sail (translucent light blue), Clover (translucent olive), Rosa (translucent pink), Sienna (translucent brown), and Loom (translucent gray). Suspended alone or layered together, each ribbed shade carries a quiet gem-like presence, the translucent material diffusing light in a soft, atmospheric glow.

Printed in the United States and designed for customization, Somari balances expressive form with pragmatic flexibility. The Saucer, Cylinder, and Sphere pendants operate as easily on their own as they do in dialogue with one another, offering designers a modular toolkit rather than a fixed solution. The result is lighting that introduces softness without sacrificing performance—an adaptable system that quietly suggests new possibilities for how we produce and experience light.

To learn more about the Somari collection, visit lightart.com.

Photography courtesy of LightArt.

Growing up in NYC has given Aria a unique perspective into art + design, constantly striving for new projects to get immersed in. An avid baker, crocheter, and pasta maker, handwork and personal touch is central to what she loves about the built environment. Outside of the city, she enjoys hiking, biking, and learning about space.