Menguante

Menguante is a Colombian lighting studio founded in Bogotá by architect Juan David Ocampo Romero. The project emerged from his exploration of how light interacts with materials and architectural space, developing into a practice that connects contemporary design with Colombian craftsmanship. After completing a master’s degree in Architecture, Design, and Innovation in Valencia, Spain, Ocampo returned to Colombia and began collaborating with artisans to realise the sculptural lighting objects he had envisioned.

The relationship between light and shadow guides Menguante’s work. Its name refers to the waning moon, reflecting an interest in the coexistence of illumination and darkness. Clay, stone, and metal become vessels for light, with their surfaces and forms shaping the atmosphere around them. The studio approaches each piece as a light sculpture, considering both its physical presence and the feelings it can evoke through reflection, contrast, and the gradual transition between brightness and shade.

Research into traditional techniques is central to the development process. Working with artisan families, Menguante adapts established knowledge to new forms and functions. Its collaborators include sculptor Jaime Ledesma from Huila, whose expertise in carving river stone helped realise particularly demanding designs. His work carries references to the sculptural heritage of San Agustín, allowing cultural memory to remain present within contemporary objects. This exchange gives craftsmanship an active role in shaping the studio’s collections.

The first collection, Acto I, brings these investigations into floor, table, and wall lighting. Eclipse combines brass and river stone, while Shadow explores the possibilities of La Chamba ceramics. The Levo series develops slender forms in brass or steel, and other designs pair carved stone with metal elements. Across the collection, restrained compositions draw attention to the character of each material and the relationship between the object, its illumination, and the surrounding space.

Menguante received recognition in the Artisanal Product category of Colombia’s Lápiz de Acero awards in 2024. Its work also won the Object Design category at Architectural Digest’s Íconos del Diseño 2023. Coverage in AXXIS has examined the studio’s collaboration with Colombian artisans and its commitment to locally available materials, highlighting a practice in which technical experimentation creates new possibilities for traditional skills and connects their makers with contemporary design.

Menguante’s complete catalog available upon request.