A lighting device includes a light source configured to illuminate a target space, and a light shielding element disposed on an optical path of light emitted from the light source. The light shielding element includes a first liquid crystal panel including a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and a first liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The light shielding element includes a first/second polarizing plate sandwiching the first liquid crystal panel and arranged in a crossed or parallel-Nicols configuration. The first liquid crystal panel has a first common electrode and a plurality of first drive electrodes. The light shielding element is configured such that each of the plurality of first drive electrodes is independently controlled to switch between a light-shielding mode that blocks light from the light source and a transmission mode that transmits light from the light source.