Paul Gunawan, Lighting designer, Pioneer of Light

Paul Gunawan

Lighting designer

INTERVIEW: PIONEERS OF LIGHT

Focused on beauty

By Jean-Luc Wittersheim

Indonesian lighting designer Paul Gunawan believes that lighting significantly influences our well-being and a building’s values. He foresees a future where lighting design’s development will help professionalize buildings’ illumination, making them more comfortable for their residents while also enhancing their architectural beauty.

Lighting is a passion for you. Where does this passion come from?

I started professionally around 1995 but I first got into lighting design, thanks to my background, when I was still little. My parents worked in design and art, which trained me to see objects with different light compositions. Then I became interested in photography, which taught me how lighting affects objects in terms of color and intensity. Next I studied building physics, where I learned about lighting design and acoustics in addition to other architectural matters. I also love drawing, and started painting when I was still very little, which interested me in light and what it affects.

“The lighting conditionsin which you live canhave beneficial ornegative effects on yourhealth”

Paul Gunawan

Photo © Cedric Helsly