Claudia Paz is one of those persons you meet and become friends with. Her professionalism cannot be separated from her humanity, warmth and philosophy of life. Cooperativeness and willingness to share her experiences is one of the reasons we continued our friendship after our meeting in Rome, which has continued to grow, from the almost forgotten human contact into a business relationship. In the world of lighting design, Claudia is recognised as a pioneer in dynamic light installations and an excellent example of the way bravery and love can result with a world-known brand in our profession, which the name Claudia Paz definitely represents.

Oris: You are an architect by formal training, but your architecture is invisible during the day. Do you remember that crucial moment when you decided to work with light? 

Claudia Paz: Yes, I am an architect and I love architecture, but light is my passion. In my last year of studying architecture, I realized that lighting is an important part of architecture, a material that you do not see but need, so I began to train myself to be a lighting designer; researching, traveling, participating in lighting congresses and learning from other people.

I started my career working for a manufacturer. I met Giancarlo Castoldi and he taught me a lot. He always talked about light and the perception of space, he never talked about fixtures, always about how you perceived things … and this has remained genuine in my work. 

I became independent when no one believed that could be possible in Peru, but I tried hard and here I am – after more than 15 years, I am doing lighting design and enjoying the journey