The "Tri-Shell" lamp is a dynamic ambient table light. Its dramatic repetitive shapes are based on the natural form of a seashell. The lamp has wide applications as a design element, when not illuminated, and as an appealing lighted sculptural form. It can be oriented either vertically or horizontally and, due to its flexible pin joint joinery, the "Tri-Shell" can be manufactured with either a rectilinear or curvilinear character. This patented lamp uses a compact fluorescent bulb and it can be made from a wide variety of materials. Due to its notching system, the lamp can be disassembled with the two smaller sections fitting into the larger one. Appropriate for placement on a coffee table or credenza, the modernist lamp is suitable for both commercial and residential applications and its approximate volume is that of a 17" cube. A diffuser/bulb socket assembly completes the lamp design by shielding the light source for direct view. The tighter the diffuser is screwed into the lamp bulb socket base, the greater the diffusion of light. The intention is to design an entire lighting line based on the design principles of the lamp.