Driven by his desire to create inspiring living spaces in the home, Livin’ Beauty founder Engelbert de Wit has been purveying stunning lighting works in the Netherlands since 2007. For the first time, de Wit’s glazed ceramic pieces are available in Australia exclusively at Bloomingdales Lighting.

The awe-inspiring collection of functional art stretches the imagination of what’s possible in oxidised ceramic lighting and objects, using nature-inspired textures and glazing techniques 

“Living beauty refers to the natural beauty of the materials used in the manufacturing of ceramics,” explains de Wit. “We use a top quality clay base material, together with precious metals like silver and copper which are applied as glazes.”

Livin’ Beauty’s handmade floor and table lamps utilise materials that are as close to nature as possible. De Wit claims his team “literally feel the earth in their hands every day” and are keenly aware of the need to care for Mother Nature and continue working on minimising their ecological footprint.

Dedication to nature

The dedication Livin’ Beauty puts into each piece is proven in its sharp respect for nature. Using the principles of Raku, the Japanese technique of removing glazed ceramics from the kiln while they are still glowing red-hot and placing them in a flammable material like sawdust or newspaper, the clay base mix is meticulously hand-polished and patterns are manually engraved.

Once dried, a second application of glaze is brushed, followed by a second firing. The ceramic is then placed into a reduction chamber filled with combustibles which burst into flames and oxidise the metals. When the glaze cools, it shrinks, causing visible cracks that are filled with smoke – resulting in unique patterns for each piece.

Bloomingdales design director Leah Martin says the scale, finish and overall patterning effect of each piece is breathtaking.

With a team of inspired craftspeople, Livin’ Beauty is dedicated to the creation of harmony through the medium of clay. Their goal: to make life prettier.
Now available in Australia exclusively at Bloomingdales Lighting

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Images provided.

Lead image: Lux Ludere Floor Lamp in Silver Matte