By Mary Grace Padin
Arte Motivo, designer and manufacturer of decorative interior lighting based in South Korea, has expressed its interest in expanding the sales and distribution of its lighting products to the Philippines due to the country’s growing market.
Jung Yong Kim, Arte Motivo CEO, told the BusinessMirror that the big population in the country presents a great opportunity for the company.
“[The Philippines] is a country with a huge population, and, therefore, a huge market. We will be launching various brands and products, which would hopefully attract wide attention from Filipinos, and let us spread Arte Motivo’s light to the Philippines. We are looking forward to getting great opportunities to make this all possible,” Kim said in an e-mail.
Global distribution has always been Arte Motivo’s goal since its establishment, according to Kim.
“After founding Arte Motivo, I have always wanted to make our lighting known to as many people as possible. I have wanted to tell people that our lighting is not something fancy or special—not anything you would only get to see at exhibitions, but rather easily approachable and likable by anybody,” Kim explained.
Its main product, the Shadow Ball, designed and handcrafted by Kim’s elder sister Eun Young Kim, has received recognition in various competitions and exhibitions internationally. The older Kim used to work as a lighting designer and exhibition manager in the United Kingdom, where she won the Future Design Award at 100% Design London—one of the three major exhibition events in Europe—in 2009 with her lighting work.
From there, the designer and her Shadow Ball has reached customers in the UK and all over Europe.
The brand has also recently been introduced in an exhibit in Hong Kong and received favorable reception from the crowd, Kim said.
He revealed that the company is now focusing on expanding its market in Asia, particularly in the Chinese and Thai markets, and is currently developing strategies to penetrate these countries.
Kim disclosed that Arte Motivo and the Shadow Ball have also been chosen as the official representative brand and gift by Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Shadow Ball
Arte Motivo has a wide array of lighting products, from handmade and customized lightings to mass-produced small lightings, such as the Shadow Ball—a small sphere with many holes of different patterns enclosing a small light bulb. There is even a lighting formed like a teddy bear, with various holes in different shapes, according to Kim.
When lit up, these patterns will be cast as shadows on the walls of a room and show off Arte Motivo’s design patterns in 360 degrees.
“Lighting is the basic essential in every space, and as basic as it is, there are so many different kinds of lightings in terms of design and color. I started to simply think that I want to make a special lighting, of which the illumination is more interesting and visually appealing,” Kim said.
Aside from offering aesthetically pleasing designs, Kim also boasts of the functionality of the company’s creations.
“To the general public, art usually seems difficult to grasp and understand. It is an unfamiliar, distant concept which people find hard to practice. However, Arte Motivo combined artistry and functionality in order to change such stereotypes,” he explained.
Shadow Balls can be mounted on walls and placed on tables or nightstands, among others.
With the sudden increase in the demand for Shadow Balls in 2015, the company launched a mini Shadow Ball line that is available in 10 different colors. They are produced using a precise molding machine that is capable of producing 5,000 units a month.
“The order volume differs by product. Handmade ones take much more time and effort to produce and are priced higher, so those are only available in made-to-order basis. The order volume for products like the Shadow Ball varies by time but is always steady, from 1,000 to 10,000 units per order,” Kim said.
As such, revenues generated by the Shadow Ball ranges from 3 million to 50 million Korean won, he said. “It is not constant, and varies a lot by the volume of orders and the number of events associated with us,” he added.
Arte Motivo
Arte Motivo means motive for art in Italian. The name was chosen by Eun Yong Kim as a reminder of her original intention for art.
“Arte Motivo will keep making lightings, which will spread its light in 360 degrees, to fill people’s heart with the sense of stability and healing. We will strive to make lightings that are beautiful and interesting—something anybody would want to have,” Jun Yong said.
The company said it also plans to imbue its new designs with special messages and create awareness on social issues, such as racism and multicultural families.
“Rather than suggesting a fixed, definite answer, we will be the first one to shed a light on various
social issues to call for the society’s attention.”
Arte Motivo is also open to collaborations with other brands, Kim said.