Derek Daubechies, recognized ceramic artisan: ‘It was my promised land’

2023-12-16 15:15:00

There are journeys that deserve to be told. That of Derek Daubechies begins in the labeling of food products. But, following a burnout, he turned the page and it was primarily for therapeutic purposes that he attended various artistic initiation workshops. “Ceramics had always attracted me, without knowing why. At first contact, I knew which path I was going to take. It was my promised land, linked to the magnetism that the earth and the mineral world exerted on my mind.

After several months of practice, he deepened his self-taught education and explored this new, complex world, where technique and research take on the dimension of a real quest, because not everything can be found in books. “Terre Promise” was soon the brand name that imposed itself on the ceramist. He first undertook to make bowls, plates and cups, already having in mind to use satin enamels soft to the touch but above all respectful of health, “an aspect sometimes neglected but essential”, insists. he. A second major event then occurs in his life: his son encounters serious eye problems and undergoes several eye operations. During his rehabilitation process, his father observed his fascination with light. “I was just thinking regarding how to expand my creations, with the desire for pieces that convey something, that generate an emotion. It was the idea, the spark, and it was my son, on the verge of losing his sight, who guided me towards the light, in every sense of the word.

Immediately, Dereck’s work focuses on the creation of refined lamps made entirely of ceramic, which invite you to connect with nature with warm and invigorating colors. Today, three sizes of lamps are made: the small one is suitable for a bedside table, the medium one and the largest one for a desk or side table, for ambient lighting. “They have a timeless aesthetic with simple curves, high-performance LEDs and a flared lampshade that opens up the light field. Everything is taken care of down to the smallest detail: the lamp cable is sheathed in silk, the switch in leather. Each of my lamps comes in a range of different colors and textures, with over thirty possibilities. And in small series, I offer two finishes: Atacama, a fairly pigmented gray-beige, and Namibia, whose vibrant red is derived from the captivating shade of terracotta.”

It was in his workshop in Auderghem that this 38-year-old craftsman was approached for the BEL Prize. At the end of a rigorous selection, he found himself among the four winners. The proclamation will take place this December 14. In addition to seeing their work valued and rewarded, the winner of the BEL Prize Expertise Transmission will benefit from numerous exchanges with BEL members, who will support them in their entrepreneurial adventure. In addition, partner KBC Brussels offers coaching with a platform dedicated to the acquisition of digital skills. Note that from December 14 to 17, the 60 prestigious houses gathered under the banner of BEL (Brussels Expertise Labels), intended to promote exceptional craftsmanship in Brussels, will participate in “Journey of Expertise”, an ephemeral exhibition at Autoworld.

But the ceramist does not intend to stop there. He plans to develop a range of lighting fixtures in the broad sense, with table lamps, pendant lamps and wall lamps, always in his favorite material, and intends to continue to explore what he calls “his transmission of emotions” . In the same spirit, he will develop ceramic mirror frames. All his creations can be found on the site www.terrepromise.bebut also in the King’s Shops lighting stores in Waterloo and Brussels, as well as in the Instore store in Ixelles.

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