Davide Groppi
Davide Groppi
Davide Groppi – When Light Becomes Art
Davide Groppi is a name that has redefined the modern idea of what light can be. Founded in Italy, this lighting house is built on sculptural simplicity, playful invention, and the quiet precision of fine craftsmanship. For Davide Groppi, a lamp is never simply a source of illumination — it is an instrument for shaping atmosphere, evoking emotion, and transforming the way a space is experienced. This is Italian lighting design guided not by trend, but by intuition, art, and a lifelong curiosity about what light can do.
Born from Independence and Craft
The story of Davide Groppi began in a small laboratory in the historic centre of Piacenza, Italy, during the late 1980s. There, Davide Groppi began inventing and producing his first lamps, choosing simply to use his own name for the company that would follow. Creative independence, paired with a hands-on approach to management, allowed him to develop an original and unmistakable body of work — one now distributed and admired around the world.
Over the decades, Davide Groppi has worked alongside a faithful group of collaborators, sharing every idea and developing products, projects, and exhibitions in partnership with companies specialising in design. It is a way of working built on trust rather than scale — one lamp, one idea, one conversation at a time.
A Philosophy of Simplicity and Emotion
Each Davide Groppi creation is guided by five qualities the designer considers essential: simplicity, lightness, emotion, invention, and amazement. Ideas take shape not from a desire to fill a catalogue, but from the need to give life to something necessary or significant - a feeling made physical, a thought made visible.
Inspiration might come from a work of art, a found object, a touch of magic, the simple pleasure of making something by hand, or the urge to play with light itself. For Davide Groppi, light is never merely functional - it is, in his own words, a wonderful way to seduce and excite.
Chosen by the World's Finest Chefs
Davide Groppi has been especially active within the world of hospitality, where his lighting has illuminated houses, stores, museums, and restaurants across the globe. Some of the most celebrated chefs in the world — including Massimo Bottura, Albert Adrià, Massimiliano Alajmo, Moreno Cedroni, Carlo Cracco, Gennaro Esposito, Giancarlo Perbellini, and Ciccio Sultano — have chosen his lighting to complete the atmosphere of their own celebrated spaces.
Recognised the World Over
The design world has taken note. Davide Groppi received the Edida Award in 2011 for the SAMPEI lamp, and again in 2024 for the VIS À VIS lamp, along with the Design Plus Award in 2014 for the NEURO lamp. At the Compasso d'Oro ADI Awards — widely considered the oldest and most prestigious design recognition in the world — Davide Groppi has won twice: at the 23rd edition, for both the NULLA and SAMPEI lamps, and at the 28th edition, for the ANIMA lamp. The TeTaTeT rechargeable lamp and the FM lamp have each received a Mention of Honour, at the 24th and 28th editions respectively. It is Italian lighting design recognised not only by the press, but by some of the most storied institutions in the country.
This recognition extends beyond the design press. As part of the Quirinale Contemporaneo project, launched in 2019, the SAMPEI and ORIGINE floor lamps now illuminate two rooms within Italy's Quirinal Palace — the Studio alla Vetrata and the Prima Sala di Rappresentanza — while ORIGINE also lights the interiors of the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. Since 2018, Davide Groppi has been part of the Dexelance Group, and in 2019 became a member of the Altagamma Foundation, the cultural ecosystem regarded as the most important accelerator of Made in Italy design and craftsmanship.
At Hoovon, we believe light is as essential to a beautifully designed space as any piece of furniture or architecture — and Davide Groppi understands this better than most. We are proud to welcome his work into our curated collection, bringing more than three decades of Italian lighting design into the outdoor and transitional spaces we help our clients create.
Explore Davide Groppi within Hoovon's collection, or get in touch with our design team for a personal consultation on how his lighting can transform your own space.
