R.A.W: Christina Kamma

To go back to the root of lighting design as per the one we know it, with all its declinations, we don’t have to go back too far away from 50-60 years ago. This relatively modern job is based on one of our primary needs - the ability to see after dark and the comfort of it – therefore it comes that lighting planning was already existing, it was just giving another name and performed by people with another hat than LD.

This role swap is, in some cases, not that effective yet. It is a fact that there are certain countries of the world where the world of lighting design is better established than others, but this can be turned into the motivation for some people.

It is the case of Christina Kamma, who is a cradle of knowledge as per her own home country, Greece: stage lighting designer; architectural lighting designer and electrical engineer. Mixing design and technology and electricity, theory and practice, had attracted her in order to be able to handle almost any project for the entire process from concept to delivery.

Belfast Girls_credits Thomas Hultgren

Is this type of balance between design, lighting planning and final installation that the industry demands nowadays? Is it a comprehensive professional figure in need to fill the gap between previous “caretakers” of the light and current ones?

The drive of Christina is her passion and crave of knowledge, but her curriculum has given an extra pair of eyes to get to the detail to each work challenge. Starting off at the Thessaloniki Academy of Art with scenography, following stage lighting design at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, continuing with Architectural lighting design at KTH in Stockholm and finishing at the STI still in the Swedish capital, Christina has developed her own taste and technique.

Black Mirror

She is now working as lighting designer and engineer at Light Bureau, former ÅFLighting, where she dedicates to landscape and outdoor projects. Among others she is involved in the team of the Slussen project, commissioned by the City of Stockholm, to plan and develop a lighting solution for the new traffic interchange and urban space at the Slussen site.

Slussen project _Light Bureau_previous Åf Lighting (illustration by White Arkitekter)

What we learn from Christina is taking responsibility for her passion: she had the goal of being able to assist fully any lighting project and because of this she decided to work patiently to each aspect of lighting she was most in fond of. All of us have an inclination, that tendency to cover better certain aspects of a job. By developing it we can be achieving a truly unique eye.

R.A.W Blogger
Martina Frattura