Zerlina Hughes: The Inspiring Story Behind Her Creative Journey

In the world of high-end lighting design, few names shine quite as brightly as Zerlina Hughes. From theatre and film to museums and galleries, her creative journey exemplifies how artistry and technical expertise merge to craft immersive environments. In this article, we’ll explore the story of Zerlina Hughes: how she began, how she built her studio, what philosophies drive her work — and what you can learn from her.

Early Life and Beginnings of Zerlina Hughes

Zerlina Hughes grew up in Scotland (born in Helensburgh) and studied at Goldsmiths College and the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL).
Her first forays into lighting were in fringe theatre in the early 1990s — where she learned to think about light as more than illumination, but as mood, narrative and space.
Early credits include assisting directors like Mike Leigh on films such as Secrets & Lies, Career Girls, and Naked.

Key take-aways from this phase

• She paired rigorous academic training (architecture + lighting) with hands-on practice in creative fields.
• The theatre/film world gave her a strong sense of storytelling through light, which later translated into her architectural work.
• Early in her career she embraced multidisciplinary collaboration — showing how lighting often sits at the intersection of art, design and technology.

Founding Her Studio – The Birth of Studio ZNA

In 2006, Zerlina founded her own lighting design practice, Studio ZNA, based in London.
The studio was set up with a clear mission: to merge creative ambition with technical rigour, specialising in museum & gallery design, high-end retail, commercial and residential interiors, theatre, opera and film.
Her philosophy: lighting is both a scientific and creative discipline — “a brilliant marriage of the scientific and the creative which I think we are fantastically attuned to.”

Why this matters

• Creating her own studio gave her the creative independence to focus on high-impact, high-visibility projects.
• The specialist focus (rather than general lighting design) let Studio ZNA build a reputation in museums, galleries and cultural spaces.
• Her vantage point as both designer and studio founder means she combines artistic vision with leadership, project-management and strategic thinking.

Signature Works & Awards

Zerlina Hughes and Studio ZNA are behind numerous high-profile projects and have earned multiple awards for excellence in lighting design.

Highlights

• One major recent project: the exhibition Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), where the lighting design created a narrative experience of light shifting from morning to dusk, reflecting the evolution of Chanel’s work.
• Awards: recognition at the LIT Lighting Design Awards (Architectural Lighting Design of the Year) for 2024.
• Work in major UK institutions: The National Gallery, The Natural History Museum, The Courtauld Gallery, The Wallace Collection, etc.

Table: Selected Projects & Themes

The Creative Philosophy of Zerlina Hughes

What drives her work? Let’s break down the core elements of her lighting design philosophy.

1. Narrative through light

Zerlina believes that lighting isn’t just functional — it tells a story. In the Chanel exhibition, for example, the sequence of lighting mapped to thematic chapters (morning, afternoon, dusk) to engage visitors more deeply.

2. Art + Science

As she says: lighting design is “a brilliant marriage of the scientific and the creative”. That means balancing technical constraints (lux levels, conservation lighting, colour rendering, sustainability) with aesthetic ambition.

3. Sustainability & minimalism

In a column for Design Insider, she wrote that lighting design is at a moment where “less is more” — fewer fittings, more intelligent control, higher lifecycle and circular economy thinking.

4. Collaboration & context

Her projects consistently emphasise working closely with architects, curators, scenographers, interior designers. The light design does not sit in isolation — it’s embedded in the space, the narrative, the visitor’s journey.

Practical tips inspired by her philosophy

• When designing a space, ask: What mood or story am I trying to set?
• Consider the full lifecycle of your lighting solution: how easy is maintenance? Is it reusable? Can parts be upgraded?
• Don’t default to uniform lighting: variation, shadows, texture often enhance perception of the space.
• Collaborate early: lighting should be integrated with architecture and interior design, not an afterthought.

Overcoming Challenges & Milestones

Every creative journey has hurdles. Zerlina Hughes’ path is no exception.

• Sensitive cultural objects: When lighting artworks or textiles in museums, you must respect conservation light levels (often very low lux) while still making the work readable and special. Example: In the Chanel exhibition, textiles were lit at around 40 lux for key lighting while ambient supported mood.
• Balancing creativity with budgets and constraints: Cultural institutions often operate under tight budgets, conservation rules, retrofit difficulties.
• Evolving technology: With LED systems, dynamic controls, sustainability requirements — lighting designers must continuously update their technical knowledge.
• Establishing reputation: Starting a firm in a specialist field (lighting for museums/galleries) meant building trust and credibility — and Zerlina did so over years of consistent project delivery.

What We Can Learn from Zerlina Hughes’ Journey

Whether you’re an aspiring lighting designer, an architect, or someone who loves well-designed spaces, there’s plenty to take away from her story

• Focus on your niche: Zerlina didn’t try to be everything for everyone; she focused on cultural/architectural lighting and built deep expertise.
• Bridge disciplines: Her background in architecture + theatre + film gave her a range of skills that proved valuable for lighting spaces with narrative, texture, and meaning.
• Commit to sustainability: As she notes, good design today must consider environmental impact and long‐term lifecycle.
• Emphasise experience: Lighting isn’t simply about visibility — it’s about how a visitor or user feels in a space.
• Stay curious & collaborative: By working with others and learning across disciplines, you widen your creative lens.

Common Questions about Zerlina Hughes & Lighting Design

Q1: What does a lighting designer like Zerlina Hughes actually do?

A lighting designer develops the concept, planning and execution of how spaces are lit — considering aspects like luminosity, colour temperature, directionality, fixture selection, control systems, conservation requirements (in museums), and visitor experience. For example, Zerlina’s Studio ZNA shaped how the visitor moves through an exhibition by changing light over time.

Q2: How can you apply Zerlina’s style to smaller projects?

• Use layers of light: ambient + accent + task.
• Use colour temperature changes to support mood (e.g., warm light for intimate spaces, cooler for clarity).
• Consider the “journey”: think about what the user sees first, next, last.
• Strive for fewer, smarter fittings rather than many overspecified ones (per her sustainability viewpoint).

Q3: What are key skills needed to follow a path like hers?

• Sound technical understanding of lighting: photometry, colour rendering, fixture types.
• Visual/creative sense of space, texture, materiality.
• Collaboration with architects, interior designers, curators.
• Project management: delivering large‐scale projects with budgets, timelines, constraints.
• Awareness of sustainability, innovation, evolving technologies.

Conclusion

The story of zerlina hughes is one of persistence, vision and craft. From her early theatre-film roots to her leadership of Studio ZNA and high-profile museum installations, she demonstrates how lighting design can be elevated into an art form. Her trajectory underscores the importance of combining creative curiosity with technical mastery, of embedding sustainability into design, and of always focusing on how people experience a space.

If you’re working in design — be it interior, architecture or lighting — or simply appreciate environments that feel thoughtfully crafted, Zerlina Hughes’ journey offers inspiration. Consider how you might adapt her lessons: focus your niche, merge your interests, emphasise experience, and don’t shy away from the stories your spaces can tell through light.