Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Table Lamp by George Pelletier, France 1960

In the Owl table lamp and throughout his remarkably consistent oeuvre, ceramics artist Georges Pelletier (b. 1938) creates an elaborate dialogue between ceramics and light. Born in Brussels, Pelletier dedicated himself to his medium early on, having enrolled in ceramics training in Vence, France, when he wasn’t yet a teenager. He moved to Paris when he was 15 and went on to study at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (today known as Arts et Métiers ParisTech). For several years Pelletier worked alongside a collective of ceramicists who set up a workshop in the village of Accolay, Burgundy. The stoneware aesthetic that was characteristic of that group had a lasting influence on Pelletier, and it was also probably there that he began experimenting with cutouts. 

In 1961, Pelletier opened his first independent studio in Paris and began selling his work at the Saint-Ouen flea market, where a designer from Roche Bobois recognized his talent. He went on to design light fixtures for the brand for more than a decade. Pelletier moved his studio in the early 1970s to Cannes, where he continues to work today.

A relatively early example of Pelletier’s decorative objects, the Owl table lamp (circa 1970) is more representational and perhaps less complex than much of the artist’s later work, which veers further into the territory of sculpture. The Owl, however, is emblematic of all the techniques that can be described as the Pelletier signature. An abstract owl is delineated on the bottle-shaped lamp through a combination of etched lines and perforations. Some of the incisions are partially filled with spheres, each one made by hand and only slightly different than the next. The light source, which is positioned at the bottom of the hollow base, illuminates the interior and emanates a diffuse light when the Owl table lamp is turned on, casting complex shadows through the various openings. The light, in a sense, completes the piece, transforming the atmosphere of the room while highlighting all of the piece’s many exquisite handmade details.

Those familiar with the work of Belgian ceramic artist Georges Pelletier know there is much more to his unique floor lamps and table lamps than meets the eye. From his stately, intricately detailed Totem floor lamp to his sculptural Owl table lamp, Pelletier’s talent for marrying ceramics with a simple light source to create complex shadow play will transform any interior into an illuminated work of art.

Born in Brussels in 1938, Pelletier developed a passion for ceramics in his youth. At merely 15 years old, Pelletier moved to Paris to study at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (now called Arts et Métiers ParisTech) before he went on to train in ceramics at the Pioulier School in Vence, France. Among his early instructors were ceramist Raphael Giarrusso and artist Fernand Léger. However, it was while working alongside a collective of potters in Accolay, Burgundy — a studio called Accolay Pottery, established by apprentices to well-known ceramicist Alexandre Kostanda — that he was likely inspired to experiment with cutouts and other carving techniques.

In 1961, Pelletier opened his first workshop in Paris, selling his ceramic lamps at the Saint-Ouen flea market. His works caught the eye of furniture design and manufacturing company Roche Bobois for which he created a series of lighting collections from 1961 to 1973.

In later years, Pelletier’s designs attracted the attention of Mathieu Tournaire, son of Philippe Tournaire, the founder of jewelry manufacturer Maison Tournaire. Charmed by Pelletier’s ceramic works and the playful light shows his fixtures would create in a space, Mathieu proposed a collaboration to develop a series of luminaires that would merge Maison Tournaire’s use of precious metals, such as silver and gold, with Pelletier’s distinct ceramics artistry. The partnership yielded a six-piece collection — three “Sun” luminaires, two floor lamps and a totem pole. Only three copies of each work exist.

In 1973, Pelletier opened a new workshop in Cannes, where he continues to work to this day. His ceramic lighting sculptures are coveted by art collectors worldwide.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Georges Pelletier lighting, decorative objects and mirrors.