Melbourne, AU

A director of the prolific Melbourne-based lighting design studio, Mance Design, Dean Gaylor conceives, designs and develops customised lighting that is not only highly functional but also beautiful, unique and emotionally stirring.

Dean was studying Industrial Design at Swinburne University when he was invited to work with the renowned lighting designer Geoffrey Mance, a pioneer in the industry. Since his mentor’s untimely death in 2007, Dean and his colleague Christopher Boutsinis have continued the studio’s work.

With their team of industrial designers, sculptors, artists and engineers, they are creating innovative lighting designs for commercial and private clients. Fundamental to the studio’s approach are experimentation and the exploration of uncommon materials, together with the refining of objects back to their essential components and modifying, modifying, modifying.

Dean is inspired by the diverse Australian terrain and is passionate about exploring local materials and products and supporting local manufacturers. Consumed by design, he is continuously captivated by the process of transforming a two-dimensional sketch into a sculptural piece, and capturing the emotional qualities of light.