Jos Devriendt: The Insider’s Belgian Designer

Spotted in some of the most interesting Belgian interiors of late: simple vases, lamps, and other objects that resonate with the intensity of minimalist sculpture. They’re the work of artist-designer Jos Devriendt, whose approach has been admiringly described as “reduced to the max.”

Above: Devriendt in his studio in Ghent, in East Flanders, Belgium. Photograph by Frederik Vercruysse.

Above: Devriendt has a background in both ceramics and sculpture–he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, in Ghent, among other places, and has had solo exhibitions in New York City, London, and Tokyo, as well as in Belgium. Most of his work is made by hand, such as these porcelain vases, but, on occasion, he designs what he calls “low tech” production pieces for small companies, such as lighting specialists Dark.

Above: Devriendt writes in his résumé that he sets out to “present simple solutions for rather complex problems.” The full range of his work is represented in the US by Matin, in Los Angeles. Read about the gallery in our post At Home with LA’s Stealth Stylemakers.

Above: A large porcelain vase from Matin.

Above: A glimpse of Devriendt’s ceramics workroom. Photograph by Frederik Vercruysse.

Above: A Devriendt standing lamp at Galerie Sofie Lachaert, a gallery in Tielrode, Belgium, with its own B&B. See more in our post A Belgian B&B, Surrealism Included. Photograph by Danica Kus. 

Above: Inspirational totems and art on a wall in Devriendt’s studio. Photograph by Frederik Vercruysse.

Above: Devriendt is also represented by the Pierre Marie Giraud Gallery, in Brussels, where he recently exhibited a large group of his mushroom lamps. Each is one of a kind. Notes Robert Odegard of Matin, they were “created during a 20-year study of the mushroom form, and they play sculpturally with light and dark, day and night.”  To see the collection and inquire about prices, go to Pierre Marie Giraud.

Above: A Devriendt wood standing lamp with a mushroom-like base at Galerie Sofie Lachaert. See more on Devriendt’s website. 

For more art–and inspired ways to live with it–go to our Art & Decoration posts. Looking for ceramics? Browse hundreds of ideas in our Photo Gallery.