Earthenware and porcelain are two distinct materials, both falling under the broader category of ceramics. Each has its own characteristics, requires its own expertise, and produces a unique finish.
At Luz Editions, we use both materials to achieve different aesthetic effects. Earthenware is used for our more ‘vintage’ designs, whilst porcelain is used for our more contemporary designs.
WHERE IT BEGINS
Every piece from Luz Editions has its origins in a source of inspiration.
Some designs, such as Tomar, Maia and Alvor, draw direct inspiration from antique pieces, pieces that deserved to be brought back to life. Others, such as Viana, Beja and Coimbra, are inspired by historical forms and eras, reinterpreted with a contemporary sensibility. Still others, such as Serpa, Elvas and Faro, started as an idea and were developed with Portuguese designers and craftsmen, shaped by dialogue and a shared instinct.
The creative process is a dialogue between creatives and the artisans , between an idea and the hands that will bring it to life.
TWO WORKSHOPS, TWO MATERIALS
Luz Editions works in collaboration with two specialist workshops located in central and northern Portugal: one specialises in porcelain, the other in earthenware. These two materials are by no means interchangeable. Their composition, firing temperatures and finish are fundamentally different, and each requires specific expertise.
Porcelain is the more refined of the two: fine, dense, with a translucency that gives the finished piece a precious, luminous quality. Earthenware is warmer, more tactile, with a depth of colour that porcelain cannot replicate. Both are shaped using traditional slip-casting moulds, a technique that allows complex forms to be reproduced with precision: scalloped edges, radial lines, stepped silhouettes... whilst retaining the character of a handmade object.
THE GLAZE
At Luz Editions, glazing is only carried out on earthenware pieces, as with porcelain, the colour is already mixed into the slip from the outset.
So, once moulded and dried, each earthenware piece passes through the hands of the craftsman to be glazed. The glaze is applied by hand with a brush, directly onto the surface of each piece, layer by layer.
This is not a dipping technique. It is a process repeated for each shade and on each piece, meaning that no two pieces are ever entirely identical. The depth of the colour, the way the colour accumulates slightly at the edges, and the subtle variations in finish are not imperfections. They are the traces of the hand.
THE KILN
After glazing, the pieces are fired. Porcelain and earthenware require different kiln temperatures. This distinction that is not merely technical but defines the final character of each piece.
It is in the kiln that the glaze fuses (for earthenware), that the colour reveals itself (for porcelain), that a shaped and/or painted object becomes a finished piece.
The result, whether the crackled white enamel of Beja, the warm cognac of Maia, or the matte unglazed surface of Alvor, is always the product of fire, time, and craft.
I founded Luz Editions with a simple belief: a beautiful object must earn its place, not through novelty, but through authenticity. High-quality materials. Unique craftsmanship. Pieces crafted with care, in limited editions, by artisans who are passionate about their work.
That is why Luz exists. And that is what you bring into your home when you choose one of my pieces.
