Bijan J. Bijan “Bijan of california”

1936-2016

Bijan J. Bijan, fondly referred to as the “Father of Metal Sculpture” was an Iranian born artist who designed several sculptural lamps for the Laurel Lamp Company in the 1970s.

Bijan - later known as Bijan of California — was a highly gifted artist who came to Los Angeles in 1962 from Iran before gaining international recognition for his novel methods of metal sculpting.

In the late 1960s, the Laurel Lamp Company commissioned Bijan to produce metal sculptures that could be turned into lamps. In 1968, Bijan’s first and most well-known lamp for Laurel was seen in the Laurel catalog titled “Setarrah” (Laurel #H-927) described as a kinetic and abstract sculptured lamp in brass.

Laurel Lamp Model No. H-927 titled “Setarrah” designed by Bijan of California appearing in the 1968 Laurel catalog.

A Boston Globe newspaper advertisement shows the same Bijan piece “Setarrah” being offered in 1971 and advertised as “This is the kinetic, sculptural, abstract brass body of a 1971 Laurel Lamp”

An issue of Home Lighting & Accessories Magazine from the early 1970s shows that Bijan collaborated with Laurel on the “Bijan Collection by Laurel”. In addition to these two confirmed Bijan designed Laurel Lamps our nonprofit Foundation has been able to identify a handful of Bijan pieces dating to at least 1974.

Visit groovywares.com for a complete biography on Bijan J. Bijan and see other examples of his work.

Learn more about Bijan and his contributions to metal sculpting by visiting  https://www.groovywares.com/articles.asp?id=132

Special thanks to Miguel Santos @miguelrsantos 

Image from a 1970s issue of Home Lighting & Accessories magazine. Photo courtesy of @lividgal

Previous
Previous

Martin Leiman

Next
Next

J. Gordon Perlmutter