Joana Forjaz

Lighting designer — Founder & Architect at Joana Forjaz Lighting Design, Lisbon

From her childhood spent in the Sintra mountains in Portugal, she felt the power of light and its movement. Master in Architecture from the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, and with a year of architectural studies in Rome (La Sapienza University) - she quickly packed her bags and headed to London in 2011, to learn about light and lighting, concluding the Master of Science at UCL - University College London.

It was in this melting pot of London, and experiences around the world, that she absorbed knowledge in the area, before returning to Portugal with the desire to create her own Project. Forjaz is based in Lisbon, near the Tagus River, and it develops Lighting Design Projects mostly in the hospitality and residential sectors.

Joana Forjaz Talks

‘‘Authenticity and depth are essential to my process.’’

‘‘If an idea keeps asking questions instead of giving answers, that’s when I know it’s worth my time.’’

‘‘In the middle of chaos, I find clarity.’’

I need to be connected to myself to create meaningful work

Light shapes experiences, evokes sensations, and transforms the ordinary into something transcendent. You have to reach into your essence and bring your soul into the project.

Light is a dance between what you see and what you feel.

I need to be connected to myself to create meaningful work

Light shapes experiences, evokes sensations, and transforms the ordinary into something transcendent. You have to reach into your essence and bring your soul into the project.

Light is a dance between what you see and what you feel.

I need to be connected to myself to create meaningful work

Light shapes experiences, evokes sensations, and transforms the ordinary into something transcendent. You have to reach into your essence and bring your soul into the project.

Light is a dance between what you see and what you feel.

Being a creator means never accepting things as they are. There's always a way to see it differently.

For me, lighting design is more than a profession - it’s a way of expressing who I am and an extension of my essence. I see spaces as living sculptures, full of presence, waiting to be revealed. My role is to feel them and enhance their soul through light.