Mykola Kabluka

Mykola Kabluka
Born (1978-04-08) April 8, 1978
Dnipro, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
CitizenshipUkraine
Alma materHochschule Wismar
Occupationsartist, lighting designer
Years active2000–present
OrganizationExpolight

Mykola Volodymyrovych Kabluka (born 8 April 1978 in Dnipro) is a Ukrainian artist and lighting designer. He is the founder and art director of the lighting design studio Expolight.[1][2] Kabluka works in architectural lighting, media art, light installations, and urban lighting design.[3] His practice combines artistic approaches with technological systems, optics, sound, and spatial design.[4][5]

Biography

Mykola Kabluka was born on 8 April 1978 in Dnipro. He studied applied mathematics before pursuing a career in lighting design.[4]

In 2000, Kabluka founded Expolight, a lighting design studio working in architectural and landscape lighting, media façades, and art installations.[6] The studio has completed more than 1,500 projects in Ukraine and abroad and develops its own software, optical systems, and custom equipment.[7]

Kabluka holds a Master of Arts in Lighting Design from Hochschule Wismar in Germany. He is a member of international professional organizations, including the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).[1] In his professional work, he has collaborated with international architectural firms including Zaha Hadid Architects, UNStudio, and Avro|Ko.[8]

Kabluka's works have been presented at international festivals and events, including Paris Design Week, where Pulse of Life was exhibited;[9][10] Zurich Design Weeks, where the installation Soul was presented;[11] and Burning Man 2025, where The Point of Unity was presented.[12] He also takes part in professional forums, competitions, and events devoted to lighting design and urban lighting strategies.[13][14]

Selected works and projects

The Point of Unity

In 2025, Kabluka's work The Point of Unity was presented at the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, United States.[15][16] The installation used optical elements, reflective systems, adaptive lighting controls, and an autonomous power system to create an immersive visual environment.[17] The work was also used as a site for marriage ceremonies involving 36 festival couples. It was included in selections of notable Burning Man 2025 installations by ArchDaily[18] and Dezeen.[19]

Cross of Heroes by Mykola Kabluka

Cross of Heroes Memorial Complex

The Cross of Heroes is a memorial project by Mykola Kabluka in Vyshhorod, Kyiv Oblast.[20] Dedicated to fallen Ukrainian defenders, the project is based on the image of a Cossack cross.[21] It combines lighting elements, translucent materials, an interior space for visitors, and the integration of light and sound. The memorial was designed as a space for individual reflection and interaction with the memorial environment.[22][23]

Soul

Soul is a light installation by Expolight under the direction of Kabluka, presented in several cities. In Dnipro, it was shown on the façade of the Dnipro Art Museum for the museum's 110th anniversary.[24] In Kyiv, it was presented on the façade of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church during Kyiv Design Week.[25] The project was also shown in Zurich as part of Zurich Design Weeks.[11] The installation was part of a cultural exchange between Kyiv Design Week and Zurich Design Weeks. In Zurich, it was presented at Bahnhof Enge, where its dynamic projections highlighted the architectural character of the historic station building. In Kyiv, the installation drew attention to the historical and cultural significance of St. Nicholas Church and the need for its continued restoration.[26]

Dnipro Light Flowers

Dnipro Light Flowers is a post-industrial light art installation in Dnipro, created in 2020–2021. The project uses five industrial chimneys along the Dnipro River as the basis for a synchronized laser and lighting system. The installation incorporates lasers, pixel-based light sources, wireless synchronization, GPS controllers, and a custom lighting control system.[27] According to the project description, webcams captured the colours of the evening sky and transmitted the data to a server controlling the lighting, allowing the chimneys to reproduce the sunset palette of that day.[28] Its light effects are visible from different parts of the city, including the opposite bank of the river. The project has been interpreted as a symbolic transformation of Dnipro's industrial landscape.[29] In 2021, Dnipro Light Flowers received a LIT Lighting Design Award in the light art project category.[30]

Light show on Khortytsia Island

Mykola Kabluka designed a light show on Khortytsia Island in Zaporizhzhia as part of cultural and artistic events related to the history of the Cossacks and Ukrainian statehood.[31] The project combined long-range laser systems, video projections onto natural landforms and the water surface, lighting, music, and the landscape of the Khortytsia National Reserve.[32]

Freedom Square in Mariupol

The lighting and multimedia design for Freedom Square in Mariupol was developed under the artistic direction of Mykola Kabluka as part of the square's reconstruction. The project combined architectural and dynamic lighting, laser shows, video graphics, and digital infrastructure for lighting scenarios and public events. One of its visual elements was a series of bird-shaped installations symbolizing the 24 oblasts of Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.[33] In 2021, the project received an IES Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design.[34]

Architectural and urban works

Kabluka's architectural and urban lighting projects include lighting concepts for Taryan Towers in Kyiv,[35] UNIT.City,[36] Saga City Space,[37] and other sites. He has also participated in the development of urban lighting strategies for Ukrainian cities in collaboration with international lighting specialists, including French lighting designer Roger Narboni.[38][39][40]

Point of Unity by Mykola Kabluka

Creative approach

Kabluka's creative approach treats light as both an engineering tool and an artistic medium.[6] Drawing on his background in mathematical modelling and lighting design, he combines technical systems with spatial, optical, and emotional aspects of perception.[1] His projects often use light, sound, reflective materials, digital technologies, and interactive systems to shape how viewers experience a site.[23][41] In interviews, he has described light as a means of changing the perception of objects and spaces without altering their physical form.[22] His installations and memorial projects also emphasize context, viewer presence, and non-literal forms of commemoration, using abstraction and immersion to address collective memory and public space.[23][22]

Awards and honours

Projects by Mykola Kabluka and Expolight have received international and national awards, including the LIT Lighting Design Awards,[42][43] the IES Illumination Awards,[44] the IALD International Lighting Design Awards,[45] and the Ukrainian Urban Awards.[46]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mykola Kabluka – a mathematician who accidentally became an architect of light - DAS Interiors". DAS Interiors. 2025-11-26.
  2. ↑ Ігнатенко, Марія (2025-12-22). "Share the Light art installation illuminates Kyiv Central Railway Station facade". Rubryka. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  3. ↑ "Expolight from Dnipro Made Ukrainian Lighting Famous Worldwide. How? Co-founder Mykola Kabluka Explains". Yellow Blue Business Platform. 2025-10-06. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  4. 1 2 Mirna (2023-01-06). "Interview with Ukranian [sic] designer Mykola Kabluka, winner of the "Lighting Product Design of the Year" title". LIT Lighting Design Awards 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  5. ↑ Аліна, Маякова (2025-10-12). "Микола Каблук: історія митця з Дніпра, який підкорив світ за допомогою світла - 2025 - Новини Дніпра -ДніпроТВ". Телеканал «ДніпроTV» (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  6. 1 2 "Unveiling the Mastery Behind Mykola Kabluka's Award-Winning Chandelier in Unit City, Kyiv - An Exclusive Interview". D5 MAG – Design Magazine. 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  7. ↑ "LIGHT FLOWERS: an interview with Nikolay Kabluka, the founder of Expolight". Huxley. 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  8. ↑ "MYKOLA KABLUKA". ХША. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  9. ↑ "Стаття: Николай Каблука: «Свет и тень — наши главные инструменты в работе» | Блог HIS". HIS.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  10. ↑ "Paris Design Week 2017: Transformation @ The Ukrainian Cultural Centre – smow Blog". www.smow.com. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  11. 1 2 "Soul - ZURICH DESIGN WEEKS". 2024.designweeks.ch. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  12. ↑ "Light Art Project Meditative Art Installation". LIT Lighting Design Awards 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  13. ↑ Єрмакова-Феруз, Міла (2025-05-07). ""Lighting Master Plan as a Strategy for Urban Development": Meeting with Roger Narboni and Mykola Kabluka - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA - Ukraine, Kyiv". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  14. ↑ "DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE SUMMIT". Ukrainian design and innovation week (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  15. ↑ "The Point of Unity Installation at Burning Man Reflects the Sky Beneath Your Feet". D5 MAG – Design Magazine. 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  16. ↑ Курінська, Анастасія (2025-08-20). "Україна представить на Burning Man не лише "Чорну хмару" Сая". Суспільне | Новини (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  17. ↑ Балашова, Дана (2025-08-15). "Reflection in the Desert: The Point of Unity and the Art of Unity". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  18. ↑ Dogan, Reyyan (2025-09-12). "Burning Man 2025: 15 Temporary Installations in the Black Rock Desert". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  19. ↑ Dreith, Ben (2025-09-09). "Nine architectural installations at Burning Man 2025". Dezeen. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  20. ↑ Białas, Kamil (2024-07-09). "Cross of Heroes in Vyshhorod. The installation is intended to give hope". Magazyn WhiteMAD - moda, architektura, design w jednym miejscu. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  21. ↑ Черемис, Вікторія (2024-07-25). "Light, theatrical effects and human concepts: what should be the memorial monuments that will replace the Soviet "blocks"?". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  22. 1 2 3 Черемис, Вікторія (2024-04-15). "Kabluka Light & Digital Sculptures: light as a universal language of memorial architecture". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  23. 1 2 3 Ірина, Татаренко (2024-05-03). "Small Talk: світловий дизайнер Микола Каблука про нетравматичне мистецтво і меморіали нового типу". Marie Claire - жіночий журнал - все про моду, зірки та красу (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  24. ↑ "«Душа»: на фасаді Дніпровського художнього музею з'явилася світлова інсталяція". Інформатор Дніпро (in Ukrainian). 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  25. ↑ "Kyiv Design Week: світлова інсталяція «Душа» прикрасила відому пам'ятку столиці". Вечірній Київ (in Ukrainian). 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  26. ↑ "Zurich's Bahnhof Enge to Host Captivating Light Installation "Soul"". D5 MAG – Design Magazine. 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  27. ↑ Expolight (2022-01-18). "expolight turns old factory chimneys into digital 'light flowers' in ukraine". designboom | architecture & design magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  28. ↑ Monitor, Media (2021-09-12). ""Dnipro Light Flowers": унікальна лазерна арт-істаляція у Дніпрі". The Independent View (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  29. ↑ Черемис, Вікторія (2024-09-02). "Lighting in the sustainable paradigm: how light protects the environment. Interview with Mykola Kabluka". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  30. ↑ "Light Art Project Post-industrial art installation Dnipro Light Flowers". LIT Lighting Design Awards 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  31. ↑ Ошемкова, Катерина (2021-10-28). "Permanent light show on Khortytsia. Produced and performed by Expolight - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA - Ukraine, Kyiv". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  32. ↑ Сайко, Леся (2025-10-06). "Нова світлова арт-інсталяція митця Миколи Каблуки". WoMo — видання для дивовижних жінок (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  33. ↑ "Мариупольская площадь открылась в другом измерении". MRPL.CITY (in Russian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  34. ↑ Illuminating Engineering Society (2021-08-09). 2021 IES Illumination Award: FREEDOM SQUARE, Mariupol, Ukraine. Retrieved 2026-06-24 – via YouTube.
  35. ↑ "Днепровские мастера света реализовали еще один яркий проект". Gorod.dp.ua. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  36. ↑ "Unit.City B04". LIT Lighting Design Awards 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  37. ↑ "Residential Complex Saga City Space". Dezeen. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  38. ↑ Ісаченко, Ірина (2020-09-07). "Light plans. What are lighting strategies for cities? - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA - Ukraine, Kyiv". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  39. ↑ ДніпроTV (2025-04-20). "Дніпро може стати першим містом Східної Європи зі світловим майстер-планом - Новини Дніпра -ДніпроТВ". Телеканал «ДніпроTV» (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  40. ↑ "Який вигляд матиме вечірній Львів у найближчі 10 років: дизайнери обговорять концепцію освітлення міста". Львівська міська рада (in Ukrainian). 2026-05-14. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  41. ↑ "Український митець представить світлову інсталяцію на Burning Man у США". Bazilik Media (in Ukrainian). 2025-08-22. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  42. ↑ "LIT Lighting Design Awards 2026 -". LIT Lighting Design Awards 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  43. ↑ Іванова, Ілона. "14 престижних нагород: компанія з Дніпра влаштувала фурор на міжнародному конкурсі (ФОТО)". d1.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  44. ↑ Butko, Christina. "Five Expolight projects won the most prestigious lighting design competition IES Illumination Awards". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  45. ↑ The IALD (2022-06-09). Synagogue: Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center – 2022 IALD Award of Excellence. Retrieved 2026-06-24 – via YouTube.
  46. ↑ "Greek park is the winner of the All-Ukrainian competition Ukrainian Urban Awards in the nomination «Architectural lighting»".
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