ronan bouroullec’s lampes sèvres reflect intricate patterns found in celestial constellations

Lampes Sèvres Exhibition by Ronan Bouroullec 

Until November 25, 2023, the Galerie de Sèvres is hosting the Lampes Sèvres exhibition, a collaborative project by Ronan Bouroullec and the historical French porcelain manufacturer, the Manufacture de Sèvres. The exhibition features a collection of lamps consisting of an aluminum base available in three different heights and a porcelain aureole also offered in three varying sizes, allowing for a range of combinations. 

Initially hesitant about working with porcelain, Bouroullec was wary of its reputation for demanding precision and complexity. However, he was soon captivated by the immediacy and sensuality of clay throwing, a technique that completely reshaped his creative process, leading him on a quest for delicacy and mastery. In addition to the Galerie de Sèvres exhibition, Lampes Sèvres will be displayed at the Manufacture de Sèvres stand during the Design Miami/ Paris fair, from 17 to 22 October, alongside the Paris+ art fair.

Lampes Sèvres Bridges Tradition & Contemporary Aesthetics

Lampes Sèvres combines traditional Sèvres craftsmanship with a contemporary aesthetic, breathing new life into age-old techniques. The aureoles are crafted by hand in the manufacture’s studio and then spray-glazed. Ronan Bouroullec discovered the glazing technique, which provides an ethereal quality, by examining old experiments with crystallization in Sèvres archives. During firing, the glaze crystallizes, resulting in unique and abstract patterns reminiscent of human iris, and constellations of stars or vivid bursts of fireworks.

This spontaneity adds an element of natural beauty and uniqueness to each piece, making them come alive with individual character. The designer beautifully captures this phenomenon, stating, ‘It all quite delicately explodes in the kiln, and when the pieces are taken out, you’re not quite sure if they might be alive. It could be a sea anemone, a portion of sky, a flash of light in space. I wasn’t at all aiming for this, but there is a very natural quality that appears; natural and uncontrolled.’

during the firing process, the glaze crystallizes, giving rise to distinctive and abstract patterns

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project info:

name of exhibiton: Lampes Sèvres

designer: Ronan Bouroullec | @ronanbouroullec x the Manufacture de Sèvres

dates: until November 25th

location: at the Galerie de Sèvres, Place André Malraux, 4, 75001 Paris