French Table Lamp by Georges Pelletier, Ceramic Base and Wool Shade - 1970

Fans of Accolay, the distinctive pottery style created by apprentices of ceramicist Alexandre Kostanda in central France, will notice a certain familiarity in some of the lighting of Georges Pelletier (b. 1938), the Totem floor lamp included. Pelletier, born in Brussels, earned his formal education at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers in Paris (now called Arts et Métiers ParisTech), but before that, he began his training in ceramics at the Pioulier School in Vence, France, where he became fascinated with the pottery of Accolay.

This would be only the beginning of Pelletier’s creative education, though — artist Fernand Léger and ceramist Raphaël Giarrusso were also among Pelletier’s early instructors. By 1961, he had set up his own studio in Paris, where he translated these various influences into a style that incorporates elements of geometric symbolism and complex ceramic technique.

The Totem floor lamp was produced around the same time as Pelletier’s Owl table lamp, in the early 1970s, just as the artist moved to Cannes, where he continues to live and work. With its tall column shape and intricate detail, the Totem channels the spiritual object of the Ojibwe tribe for which it is named. The Totem is unglazed, which gives it a rough-hewn look and celebrates the natural materiality of the clay from which it is made. This, coupled with the display of carvings and repetitive nature of the stacked drums that make up its height, gives it the appearance of a repeated artistic study.

When lit, its carvings are illuminated from behind, suggesting celestial objects, and Pelletier’s Totem floor lamp casts enticing shadows on the floor and walls around it.

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.