Indonesian design brand Rêmên has been awarded the 2025 LIT Lighting Design Award in the Decorative Accent Lamp category for its ROH Table Lamp, a design inspired by the cultural symbolism of ancient Chinese burial coins found across Java.
© Rêmên
Organised by 3C Awards in Switzerland, the LIT Lighting Design Award is an international programme recognising excellence in lighting design worldwide. The 2025 edition attracted more than 1,000 entries from 62 countries. Rêmên's ROH Table Lamp was selected in a category that highlights lighting designs with strong visual presence and conceptual clarity.
For Rêmên, founded in February 2025, the award marks a significant milestone as the young brand continues to gain international recognition for its culturally driven design approach.
"This recognition affirms our idealism, authenticity, and creative direction on a global stage, and motivates us to keep moving forward," said Sylviana Putri, founder of Rêmên.
While decorative accent lamps are often defined by bold or expressive forms, the ROH Table Lamp takes a more restrained path. Its presence is driven by materiality and concept rather than overt form. At the centre of the design is a hand-blown red glass core, symbolising ROH, or the "unseen spirit", which functions as both the visual and conceptual focal point.
The lamp reinterprets Chinese burial coins, objects historically used to guide souls to the afterlife but now largely perceived as archaeological artefacts. By embedding these coins into a contemporary lighting object, Rêmên explores how design can revisit culturally forgotten objects while preserving the narratives they carry.
Named after the word ROH, meaning "the unseen spirit", the lamp adopts a lantern-like form, referencing the belief that lanterns guide spirits between realms. The burial coins are positioned as central design elements, reflecting their dual symbolism: fortune in the afterlife and misfortune in the world of the living. This contrast invites reflection on how meaning shifts across cultural and contextual boundaries.
The ROH Table Lamp also addresses cultural sustainability through the upcycling of original Chinese burial coins, retaining their natural green patina and using minimal material treatment to maintain authenticity.
© Rêmên
"The lamp is produced through local metalwork and hand-blown glass, with most components crafted by artisans rather than mass-produced, supporting local craftsmanship and a sustainable production process," Sylviana said.
Looking ahead, Rêmên plans to expand its collections by exploring additional facets of cultural heritage through contemporary design, including a forthcoming collection that combines human characteristics with Indonesian wood carving traditions.
About Rêmên
Rêmên is an Indonesian design brand that translates cultural heritage into contemporary functional objects, creating design pieces that tell stories and celebrate local traditions.
More information:
Rêmên
[email protected]
www.remenobjekt.com
