Meet the Mentors With entries open for the 2024/25 series of the Silhouette Awards, we find out who the mentors will be for Season Four. SILHOUETTE AWARDS
Season Four of the Silhouette Awards programme has officially launched, with applications for mentees open now until 1 December 2024. The 20 mentors for this year have been announced, and the organisers are calling for mentees to apply for the 2024/25 programme now. The Silhouette Awards mentors comprise of 20 senior influential lighting designers from around the world, who play an integral role in not only selecting the winning mentees but also participating in a six-month mentorship programme. Covering all corners of the globe, these hugely experienced and well-respected designers are on the lookout to nurture young talent and help other like-minded individuals progress in their careers. This year’s impressive line-up of mentors are: • Andrew Powell - a practising lighting designer for more than 35 years, Andrew joined the Lighting Design Alliance (LDA) in 1995 and has been there ever since. • Armaghan Ahmadi Venhari - Dr. Armahgan combined her passion with 20 years of teaching experience to establish Iran’s first light academy, Light-Life-Academy. • Camila Blanco - Creative Director of Glare since 2023, guiding the company to win prestigious lighting design awards. • Cherine Saroufim - this year became the President Select IALD Board Member. Atelier Saroufim’ lighting design department has won numerous lighting design awards. • Daniel Blaker - one of Nulty’s most experienced lighting designers, who has been with the practice for more than 12 years. • Eugenia Cheng - the founder of LightOrigin Studio, an award-winning lighting design studio in Hong Kong. • Fabiana Nery Pardhanani - Fabiana has worked for several London-based companies as a successful lighting designer for 26 years, and recently affiliated herself to Glare UK. 146 / 147
• Lee Barker-Field - Lee co-founded AECOM’s lighting team in 2004. Over the last 20 years, he has led the lighting design on award-winning projects all over the world. • Magdalena Gomez - an architectural lighting designer with more than 20 years of experience and a background in architecture and urban planning. • Maneck Tandon - partner at ATPL Lighting with a rich academic background, exemplified by a Master’s in architectural lighting design. • Marc Juarez – has vast experience in multiple lighting roles spanning more than 15 years - a Master’s in project management, an innovation director, vice chair of the association for vertical farming, and a professor at the UPC Barcelona. • Myriam Patricia Lopez Yanez - holds a graduate degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in architectural lighting design, attaining Harvard Business School Alumnus status. • Philip Hammond - the visionary behind BHA School of Lighting and founder of BHA Lighting Design & Consulting, with a career spanning 48 years. • Sacha Abizadeh - has had a passion for lighting spanning more than 19 years, beginning with experimenting with it as an art form and medium. before working on exciting collaborations with renowned architects such as Wilkinson Eyre, Grimshaw, and Weston Williamson. • Ratna Kumari - an Associate at CD+M Lighting Design studio in Dubai with over 15 years of experience in the lighting industry and a visiting professor at Manipal University. • Sergio Boccia - since 2002 Sergio has been working in UAE, Italy, and the Far East as an independent lighting designer and project manager. • Shahrzad Abtahi - Senior Associate and Design Studio Manager at Borealis Group’s Boston office, leveraging 15 years of experience in lighting design.