Latest news with #neon
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tivoli Lighting Expands Inspire Series of Chandeliers to Include Mekos and Reveal for Enhanced Creative Expression
New additions join Array and Eos in Tivoli Lighting's Inspire Series, featuring the Flexile light engine for a modern take on traditional 360° neon. IRVINE, Calif., July 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With more than 50 years of innovation and linear lighting leadership, Tivoli Lighting announces the expansion of its Inspire Series with the introduction of Mekos and Reveal chandeliers. These new designs join the existing Array and Eos fixtures, all powered by Tivoli's Flexile light engine, which delivers uniform illumination in multiple lengths to emulate the timeless glow of traditional 360° neon. Each chandelier in the Inspire Series features an easily adjustable Flexile light engine, allowing designers and architects to create personalized lighting expressions. All models are available in multiple LED color temperature options—2300K, 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, and 4000K—and offer high luminous efficiency with a 95+ CRI. Dimming is supported via TRIAC, ELV, MLV, 0-10V, and DMX protocols. Ideal for architectural, entertainment, hospitality, and high-end residential environments, the Inspire Series features a UV-stabilized with food-grade environmental silicone housing that resists saline solutions, acids, alkali, corrosive gases, yellowing, and cracking. All chandeliers operate on low-voltage 24-volt DC power. Individual product specifications include: Inspire Eos features a single Flexile LG light engine (73.1W/unit) with a finished hanging rod of 48" or 72" length. Mount options are field adjustable, with rigid rod or cable suspension, extending up to 78" from the ceiling. Field adjustment will determine overall sag height and design once installed; typically, between 27" – 48" light engine sag Inspire Array includes dual Flexile LG light engines (146.25W/unit) with a finished hanging rod of 96", 120" or 144". Mount options are field adjustable, with rigid rod or cable suspension, extending up to 78" from the ceiling. Field adjustment will determine overall sag height and design once installed; typically, between 27" – 48" light engine sag Inspire Reveal includes triple Flexile LG light engines (219.3W/unit) with a finished hanging rod of 168", 192" and 216". Mount options are field adjustable, with rigid rod or cable suspension, extending up to 78" from the ceiling. Field adjustment will determine overall sag height and design once installed; typically, between 27" – 48" light engine sag Inspire Mekos boasts quad Flexile LG light engines (292.4W/unit) with a finished hanging rod of 240". Mount options are field adjustable, with rigid rod or cable suspension, extending up to 78" from the ceiling. Field adjustment will determine overall sag height and design once installed; typically, between 27" – 48" light engine sag All Inspire Series chandeliers come with mounting accessories including Canopy, Minus Mount and T-Bar Drop Ceiling for modern and expressive installations. Hanging rod finishes include – Satin Copper, Satin Nickel, Satin Brass, Matte Black, Anodized Black, Vintage Bronze and Vintage Brass. The Inspire series are IP54-rated to prevent contamination from dust and particles and are cETLus listed for dry locations. The Inspire chandeliers perform reliably in temperatures from -68°F to 131°F, with a 70,000-hour performance life and come with a standard five-year warranty. For more information about the Inspire Series of Chandeliers, visit or contact Tivoli Lighting at 714-957-6101. About Tivoli With more than 50 years of innovation and experience, Tivoli continues to lead the linear lighting industry with its award-winning architectural and theater LED-based products that offer improved appearance, quality, performance, and energy saving advantages. Tivoli's team continues to strive to incorporate innovation, color quality, and longevity of life into every product it manufactures and engineers for high quality performance and extended service life. View source version on Contacts Tivoli Marketing ManagerStephen Ledesmastephenl@ 714-957-6101 Alissa KiktavyFalls &
South China Morning Post
29-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Striking Hong Kong neon exhibition honours ‘heroes' of the craft and a family's legacy
Hong Kong neon master Wong Kin-wah holds a glass tube over a burner's flame, bending it and occasionally blowing into it with the finesse that comes from decades of honing his craft. Speed and precision are needed to mould the tube into shape before it is filled with noble gases such as neon and argon to create its distinctive glow. 'I modified this burner myself so I could get a more intense flame,' Wong says at his studio in the Kowloon neighbourhood of Mong Kok, where he has worked for the past 50 years. Wong, 84, is one of the city's last neon craftsmen. He began learning his craft at 17 years old, after moving to Hong Kong from mainland China's Guangdong province in 1957. Wong works in his studio in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Photo: Sun Yeung Like many, Wong was seeking a better life after China's civil war (1927-1949). He found it in neon. Next to Wong is his grandson Jerry Loo, a 22-year-old artist with a flair for animation and a deep desire to learn from his grandfather.
CNN
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
This artist is keeping Hong Kong's neon heritage alive
The neon signs that once illuminated Hong Kong have mostly gone dark. The lights were once synonymous with the city, but in recent years, the government has tightened regulations over safety concerns about unwieldy signs, and many have been removed. But inside a workspace in the Wong Chuk Hang neighborhood, neon lights are shining bright. Jive Lau founded the Kowloneon studio in 2021, with the hopes of preserving the craft of neon making. He had long been interested in neon when, in 2019, he took a week off from his job as a graphic designer to fly to Taiwan for a neon-making course. When Lau, now 42, was laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic, he took it as a sign to devote himself to neon full-time. Now he's achieving commercial success with his designs — including an elaborate neon popup shop façade for the US fashion brand Coach, a sign for a Louis Vuitton event, and light installations for the Hong Kong Ballet. Through his work, Lau hopes he can help reverse neon's decline in the city. 'Neon is not replaceable,' he tells CNN from his workshop, illuminated by a neon cow shaking maracas mounted on the wall behind him. 'It's magical.' Neon signs were first introduced in Hong Kong in the 1920s. As the city's economy flourished from the 1950s to the 1980s, neon did also, according to Brian Kwok, an associate professor of design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and author of 'Fading Neon Lights, an Archive of Hong Kong's Visual Culture.' The lights were once used to advertise everything from tailor shops and bars to seafood restaurants, but in recent decades, the neon industry has been in decline. In 2011, the city's Buildings Department found there were about 120,000 signboards in the city, including neon, many of them unauthorized. Stricter regulation has led to the removal of many signs, like a well-known neon cow measuring three meters (10 feet) hanging above Sammy's Kitchen, a steakhouse, which was taken down in 2015 after being deemed an illegal structure. Some local business owners have willingly replaced the signs with newer technology, including LED lights, which are cheaper. Societal factors, like an association with seediness, have also contributed to neon's decline, according to the city's M+ Museum. Kwok tells CNN that in 2018 and 2019, when he was doing research for his book, there were about 470 neon signs left in the five Hong Kong districts he surveyed. Today, he thinks that only about 10% of those remain. Making neon signs is a delicate and difficult task that entails using powerful burners to heat and shape glass tubes and injecting the right mixture of gas into the tubes, which must be connected seamlessly so the joints can't be seen. There aren't many people left that know how to do the painstaking and delicate work. Kwok estimates that there are about three to five remaining neon masters in Hong Kong, with only one or two actively working in the craft. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the disappearing neon, which has drawn media and public attention. A few artists like Lau have started working with neon at a time when the city is undergoing rapid changes. That includes a Beijing-led crackdown on dissent, following pro-democracy protests in 2019, which critics say has stifled creative expression and subdued the once freewheeling city. Many young Hong Kongers have left the city. 'Neon is representative of Hong Kong,' says Lau. 'If the most beautiful and representative things of Hong Kong fade out, I will be really sad,' he adds. Some Hong Kong brands continue to incorporate neon into their stores. Lau has designed signs for a gelato shop and a large neon installation he created sits atop the flagship store of local retailer Goods of Desire (G.O.D) in the central nightlife area Lan Kwai Fong. He says that unlike the old neon masters, who largely made signs with just the name of the shop they advertised, he takes a more creative approach to his designs. His sign above G.O.D., for example, depicts characters holding a wine glass and pouring tea. In his studio, where he receives subsidized rent from the government-backed Hong Kong Arts Development Council, tools cover the walls, and are scattered across worktop tables, while the remnants of broken tubes litter the floor. He shows CNN a neon sign taller than him, with intricately bent neon depicting a phoenix and a dragon — symbols common as a backdrop for Chinese wedding photos — which he says took him a month to make. He also uses neon to create sculptures and is planning for an upcoming exhibition. And he's working to open a store that will sell neon objects suitable for Hong Kong's notoriously cramped apartments. He shows CNN a small sculptural neon lightning bolt mounted on a base. 'I want to reach a different kind of consumer,' says Lau. Kwok sees similar trends among Hong Kong's handful of neon makers. 'The whole industry has shifted to more art-related projects, or small-scale projects for interior decoration,' he says. Lau wants to encourage more people into the art form and late last year, he launched a three-month internship program to teach other young people the craft. His initial batch of eight apprentices included students and professionals working in fields ranging from technology to art repair. He plans to run a second internship program later this year. 'Some people say to me, 'don't create competition for yourself,'' Lau says. 'But we have to make the community bigger for the future.'
CNN
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
This artist is keeping Hong Kong's neon heritage alive
The neon signs that once illuminated Hong Kong have mostly gone dark. The lights were once synonymous with the city, but in recent years, the government has tightened regulations over safety concerns about unwieldy signs, and many have been removed. But inside a workspace in the Wong Chuk Hang neighborhood, neon lights are shining bright. Jive Lau founded the Kowloneon studio in 2021, with the hopes of preserving the craft of neon making. He had long been interested in neon when, in 2019, he took a week off from his job as a graphic designer to fly to Taiwan for a neon-making course. When Lau, now 42, was laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic, he took it as a sign to devote himself to neon full-time. Now he's achieving commercial success with his designs — including an elaborate neon popup shop façade for the US fashion brand Coach, a sign for a Louis Vuitton event, and light installations for the Hong Kong Ballet. Through his work, Lau hopes he can help reverse neon's decline in the city. 'Neon is not replaceable,' he tells CNN from his workshop, illuminated by a neon cow shaking maracas mounted on the wall behind him. 'It's magical.' Neon signs were first introduced in Hong Kong in the 1920s. As the city's economy flourished from the 1950s to the 1980s, neon did also, according to Brian Kwok, an associate professor of design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and author of 'Fading Neon Lights, an Archive of Hong Kong's Visual Culture.' The lights were once used to advertise everything from tailor shops and bars to seafood restaurants, but in recent decades, the neon industry has been in decline. In 2011, the city's Buildings Department found there were about 120,000 signboards in the city, including neon, many of them unauthorized. Stricter regulation has led to the removal of many signs, like a well-known neon cow measuring three meters (10 feet) hanging above Sammy's Kitchen, a steakhouse, which was taken down in 2015 after being deemed an illegal structure. Some local business owners have willingly replaced the signs with newer technology, including LED lights, which are cheaper. Societal factors, like an association with seediness, have also contributed to neon's decline, according to the city's M+ Museum. Kwok tells CNN that in 2018 and 2019, when he was doing research for his book, there were about 470 neon signs left in the five Hong Kong districts he surveyed. Today, he thinks that only about 10% of those remain. Making neon signs is a delicate and difficult task that entails using powerful burners to heat and shape glass tubes and injecting the right mixture of gas into the tubes, which must be connected seamlessly so the joints can't be seen. There aren't many people left that know how to do the painstaking and delicate work. Kwok estimates that there are about three to five remaining neon masters in Hong Kong, with only one or two actively working in the craft. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the disappearing neon, which has drawn media and public attention. A few artists like Lau have started working with neon at a time when the city is undergoing rapid changes. That includes a Beijing-led crackdown on dissent, following pro-democracy protests in 2019, which critics say has stifled creative expression and subdued the once freewheeling city. Many young Hong Kongers have left the city. 'Neon is representative of Hong Kong,' says Lau. 'If the most beautiful and representative things of Hong Kong fade out, I will be really sad,' he adds. Some Hong Kong brands continue to incorporate neon into their stores. Lau has designed signs for a gelato shop and a large neon installation he created sits atop the flagship store of local retailer Goods of Desire (G.O.D) in the central nightlife area Lan Kwai Fong. He says that unlike the old neon masters, who largely made signs with just the name of the shop they advertised, he takes a more creative approach to his designs. His sign above G.O.D., for example, depicts characters holding a wine glass and pouring tea. In his studio, where he receives subsidized rent from the government-backed Hong Kong Arts Development Council, tools cover the walls, and are scattered across worktop tables, while the remnants of broken tubes litter the floor. He shows CNN a neon sign taller than him, with intricately bent neon depicting a phoenix and a dragon — symbols common as a backdrop for Chinese wedding photos — which he says took him a month to make. He also uses neon to create sculptures and is planning for an upcoming exhibition. And he's working to open a store that will sell neon objects suitable for Hong Kong's notoriously cramped apartments. He shows CNN a small sculptural neon lightning bolt mounted on a base. 'I want to reach a different kind of consumer,' says Lau. Kwok sees similar trends among Hong Kong's handful of neon makers. 'The whole industry has shifted to more art-related projects, or small-scale projects for interior decoration,' he says. Lau wants to encourage more people into the art form and late last year, he launched a three-month internship program to teach other young people the craft. His initial batch of eight apprentices included students and professionals working in fields ranging from technology to art repair. He plans to run a second internship program later this year. 'Some people say to me, 'don't create competition for yourself,'' Lau says. 'But we have to make the community bigger for the future.'
CNN
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
This artist is keeping Hong Kong's neon heritage alive
The neon signs that once illuminated Hong Kong have mostly gone dark. The lights were once synonymous with the city, but in recent years, the government has tightened regulations over safety concerns about unwieldy signs, and many have been removed. But inside a workspace in the Wong Chuk Hang neighborhood, neon lights are shining bright. Jive Lau founded the Kowloneon studio in 2021, with the hopes of preserving the craft of neon making. He had long been interested in neon when, in 2019, he took a week off from his job as a graphic designer to fly to Taiwan for a neon-making course. When Lau, now 42, was laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic, he took it as a sign to devote himself to neon full-time. Now he's achieving commercial success with his designs — including an elaborate neon popup shop façade for the US fashion brand Coach, a sign for a Louis Vuitton event, and light installations for the Hong Kong Ballet. Through his work, Lau hopes he can help reverse neon's decline in the city. 'Neon is not replaceable,' he tells CNN from his workshop, illuminated by a neon cow shaking maracas mounted on the wall behind him. 'It's magical.' Neon signs were first introduced in Hong Kong in the 1920s. As the city's economy flourished from the 1950s to the 1980s, neon did also, according to Brian Kwok, an associate professor of design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and author of 'Fading Neon Lights, an Archive of Hong Kong's Visual Culture.' The lights were once used to advertise everything from tailor shops and bars to seafood restaurants, but in recent decades, the neon industry has been in decline. In 2011, the city's Buildings Department found there were about 120,000 signboards in the city, including neon, many of them unauthorized. Stricter regulation has led to the removal of many signs, like a well-known neon cow measuring three meters (10 feet) hanging above Sammy's Kitchen, a steakhouse, which was taken down in 2015 after being deemed an illegal structure. Some local business owners have willingly replaced the signs with newer technology, including LED lights, which are cheaper. Societal factors, like an association with seediness, have also contributed to neon's decline, according to the city's M+ Museum. Kwok tells CNN that in 2018 and 2019, when he was doing research for his book, there were about 470 neon signs left in the five Hong Kong districts he surveyed. Today, he thinks that only about 10% of those remain. Making neon signs is a delicate and difficult task that entails using powerful burners to heat and shape glass tubes and injecting the right mixture of gas into the tubes, which must be connected seamlessly so the joints can't be seen. There aren't many people left that know how to do the painstaking and delicate work. Kwok estimates that there are about three to five remaining neon masters in Hong Kong, with only one or two actively working in the craft. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the disappearing neon, which has drawn media and public attention. A few artists like Lau have started working with neon at a time when the city is undergoing rapid changes. That includes a Beijing-led crackdown on dissent, following pro-democracy protests in 2019, which critics say has stifled creative expression and subdued the once freewheeling city. Many young Hong Kongers have left the city. 'Neon is representative of Hong Kong,' says Lau. 'If the most beautiful and representative things of Hong Kong fade out, I will be really sad,' he adds. Some Hong Kong brands continue to incorporate neon into their stores. Lau has designed signs for a gelato shop and a large neon installation he created sits atop the flagship store of local retailer Goods of Desire (G.O.D) in the central nightlife area Lan Kwai Fong. He says that unlike the old neon masters, who largely made signs with just the name of the shop they advertised, he takes a more creative approach to his designs. His sign above G.O.D., for example, depicts characters holding a wine glass and pouring tea. In his studio, where he receives subsidized rent from the government-backed Hong Kong Arts Development Council, tools cover the walls, and are scattered across worktop tables, while the remnants of broken tubes litter the floor. He shows CNN a neon sign taller than him, with intricately bent neon depicting a phoenix and a dragon — symbols common as a backdrop for Chinese wedding photos — which he says took him a month to make. He also uses neon to create sculptures and is planning for an upcoming exhibition. And he's working to open a store that will sell neon objects suitable for Hong Kong's notoriously cramped apartments. He shows CNN a small sculptural neon lightning bolt mounted on a base. 'I want to reach a different kind of consumer,' says Lau. Kwok sees similar trends among Hong Kong's handful of neon makers. 'The whole industry has shifted to more art-related projects, or small-scale projects for interior decoration,' he says. Lau wants to encourage more people into the art form and late last year, he launched a three-month internship program to teach other young people the craft. His initial batch of eight apprentices included students and professionals working in fields ranging from technology to art repair. He plans to run a second internship program later this year. 'Some people say to me, 'don't create competition for yourself,'' Lau says. 'But we have to make the community bigger for the future.'
