Lightly MDW 2026. Image Pier Carthew.

Lightly MDW 2026. Image Pier Carthew.

Twenty Years: The Making of a Symbol

Presented by Lightly

DETAILS

Free, no booking required

CY Space
Collingwood Yards, Johnston Street, Collingwood VIC, Australia

DATES

Thu 14 May 10am – 5pm

Fri 15 May 10am – 6pm

Sat 16 May 10am – 6pm

Sun 17 May 10am – 5pm

Mon 18 May 10am – 5pm

Tue 19 May 10am – 5pm

Wed 20 May 10am – 5pm

Thu 21 May 10am – 5pm

Fri 22 May 10am – 5pm

Sat 23 May 10am – 5pm

Sun 24 May 10am – 4pm

Marking twenty years of designing iconic Melbourne/Naarm forms, Lightly presents a limited collection of designs grounded in materiality, exploring the concept of ‘The Making of a Symbol.’

Objects are woven into tradition through the accumulation of human interaction – the stories that accrete around them, the sensorial memories they hold as they pass from one person to another. This exchange brings material stories to the foreground, prompting contemplation of our relationship with objects and the stories woven between humans and culture.

The exhibition presents a collection of new works in a tactile satellite presentation. This includes three new bodies of work – artisan-crafted pieces in wool, resin and steel, developed through in-house collaborations with local artisans.

The steel works celebrate theatrical forms, honest materials and utilitarian design that have guided Lightly since 2005. Resin honours the studio’s beginnings in acrylic; wool explores patterns inspired by folklore and tradition, like the doilies of the first collection – tactility and memory. Each material is an exploration of enduring meaning.

The exhibition considers what transforms an object from form into symbol: when it embodies not just function but meaning earned through time and touch, and when it is recognised not by design alone but by a collective sense that it carries shared values and histories.

The exhibition is a celebration of connection and a twenty-year community.

Participants

Lightly
Lightly products enrich spaces through considered design, craft and intention. Kinship has been at the heart of the studio since 2005. Lightly was inspired by the relationship between founder Cindy-Lee and her grandmother, Rosemary Lightly.Today, the studio continues to be shaped by a community of like-minded customers, artisanal makers and those who value sustainable, ethical and spirited design. Their range of products for interiors and events is born of relationships and resourcefulness, design and functionality, colour and form. Over the years, the studio has built relationships across the international architecture, hospitality and design community through shared values and boundless creativity.