Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology sparked a creative renewal that crystallized in this early piece. Walking through galleries of ancient pottery decorated with iron oxide by hands separated by centuries, the connection between past and present ceramic traditions became undeniable. This lamp represents one of the first attempts to bridge contemporary architectural form with pre-Columbian surface treatment.
 
Two precise square openings puncture the rectangular form—clean geometric interventions that establish a rhythm while revealing the internal light. But the real conversation happens in the hand-painted iron oxide decoration that flows around these openings. The organic, undulating patterns echo techniques witnessed in those museum cases, where indigenous potters used mineral pigments to create surfaces that seemed to breathe with life.
 
The unglazed ceramic surface receives the iron oxide painting directly, creating an intimate relationship between pigment and clay body. This raw, immediate quality connects the piece to ancient traditions while serving contemporary function. When illuminated, the square openings frame portions of the painted surface, creating moments where geometry and organic gesture meet.
 
This lamp marks a return to ceramic practice informed by cultural encounter—where architectural precision provides the structure for exploring painterly expression rooted in Mexico's deep ceramic heritage.
 
11.5" wide by 5" high by 3" deep
Hand-painted unglazed stoneware.
Hand-crafted ceramic Table lamp, USA.