Some tech gadgets make you do a double-take; the Bic Lamp by designer Mario Paroli and Italian brand Seletti is one of them. At first glance, I swore this blown-up, illuminated iteration of the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen was AI. It’s not. Photos of the pen in office and living room scenes look like surrealist works of art; it’s weird tech that somehow works.
Twelve times larger than the standard pen, but with exactly the same proportions, this unique LED lamp celebrates the Bic Cristal’s 75th anniversary and was displayed at the Maison&Object furniture expo in Paris. The original design, created in 1950 by Italian-French manufacturer and Bic co-founder Marcel Bich, has been featured in permanent collections at MoMA and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
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An artsy Bic pen lamp, with an iconic look
What makes the Bic Lamp more than just a novelty is how faithfully it sticks to the original design. Paroli preserved every proportion of the iconic pen, scaling it up to a full 178 centimeters. The transparent, hexagonal barrel—typically filled with ink—now houses an LED light source that emits a warm, ambient glow. It turns a utilitarian object into something oddly atmospheric. It’s playful, yes, but it’s also surprisingly elegant once you see it in context.
Proof that serious design doesn’t have to be serious
Seletti’s trademark humor is all over the details. The lamp’s cap and end come in classic Bic colors—black, blue, or red. The power cord matches these hues but is itself a quirky alteration to an otherwise faithful redesign. The Bic logo sits exactly where you expect it to. Overall, this isn’t a reinterpretation so much as a respectful, oversized homage.
Beyond these fun details, the lamp itself can be placed creatively in its environment; mounted on a wall, suspended as a pendant, or standing upright as a floor lamp. The effect is instant recognition, followed by a chuckle.
True to the original, materials included
Like the original pen, the lamp is made entirely from plastic—polycarbonate and high-density polyethylene—which adds to its charm. There’s something almost poetic about taking one of modern history’s most ubiquitous objects and turning it into a statement piece that can live in your home. It doesn’t try to hide what it is, and I love that.
Bic’s general manager for stationery, David Cabero, summed it up best when he described the lamp as a reflection of the pen’s place in collective imagination. Few objects have bridged classrooms and boardrooms so effortlessly—and now, apparently, living rooms too. The Bic Lamp reminds us how deeply everyday objects can embed themselves into culture.
Yes, the Bic Cristal pen is art
The Bic Lamp is weird tech, but in the best sense of the phrase. It serves a definite purpose—lighting your space—but it also makes you pause, laugh, and maybe rethink the objects you’ve taken for granted your entire life. At a time when design is either hyper-minimal or aggressively futuristic, a piece that openly embraces humor and familiarity is refreshing.
The Bic Lamp will be available in wall, floor, and pendant versions between late March and early April 2026 on the official website. While it’s certainly not subtle, that’s the point.
Lauren has been writing and editing since 2008. She loves working with text and helping writers find their voice. When she’s not typing away at her computer, she cooks and travels with her husband and two daughters.