London-based designer Beth Lewis-Williams combines the romance of 19th century diffused lit porcelain lithophanes with today’s 3D printing techniques, contemporary urban scenery and the latest in LED lighting.

3D Printed Ceramic Lights by Beth Lewis-Willams

A graduate of Central St Martins, Beth’s work received attention when she presented her ceramic work at the 2013 London Design Festival and at the 2013 Designersblock. Since then her lamps have been singled out and honored by many design festivals, blogs and sites as a unique example of utilizing 3D printing.

The artist explains that her version of the popular and romantic 19th century lithophanes “…explore urban scenes contrasting current social, environmental, and aesthetic scenes with those of the romantic landscapes featured on 19th Century industrially produced domestic ceramics.”

Ramsgate light off:

Ramsgate light on:

My work, in turn, examines our intense urban landscapes though the elegiac atmosphere lithophanes create.- Beth Lewis-Williams

Some of her creations can be purchased here

From the artist’s site:
Lights, Lithophanes & Landscapes is a collection of porcelain lighting, which exploits the traditional and mysterious technique of lithophanes. The lights are realised using 3D printing technologies and hand carving, the latest LED and lighting controls.

They explore urban scenes contrasting current social, environmental, and aesthetic scenes with those of the romantic landscapes featured on 19th Century industrially produced domestic ceramics.

Lithophanes were a 19th Century passion and were used with an internal light source diffusing through the porcelain creating a gentle play of shadows exposing beautiful, delicate and sculptural images. The widespread emergence of printed landscape patterns on industrial ceramics was driven by the fashion for Chinese and Japanese porcelain, decorated with idyllic and picturesque landscapes. It was in effect a rural nostalgia, the result of a confluence of technological development and urbanisation. My work, in turn, examines our intense urban landscapes though the elegiac atmosphere lithophanes create.

About the artist:

Beth Lewis-Williams is a London based designer and maker specialising in bespoke porcelain lighting. She has a Masters from Central St Martins in Design and her Bachelors degree was from Camberwell Colledge of Arts in ceramics. As well as her own practice she also is a teacher.

Beth Lewis-Williams

Beth’s site no longer exists at the above url, but she is here on LinkedIn.

Photos courtesy of Beth Williams, New Designers, Unique Style Platform and inhabitat