Ombre Portee

Eric de Dormael and Sylvie Janvier established Ombre Portée in March 1998. Their backgrounds are in graphics and sculpture, respectively. They design and manufacture illuminated sculptures, based on research into light sources including candlelight, a taste for natural, intimate light, and the effects of shadows and reflections. Materials to dress, filter and diffuse the light, as well as to refract it like a jewel, are carefully chosen in order to create a soft and intimate atmosphere. The objective is to evoke images, impressions and sensations and to create pieces that have an inherent poetry. Small light sources are favoured, as they can be integrated into the structure of the fixture, and can become a decorative element in their own right. This is just as important as the choice of metal or crystal. Mindful of the environment and the new European energy conservation standards, the original concept has been enriched by association with new technologies like LEDs and energy saving lamps. Today, the newest Ombre Portée collections focus on 'high-end' illuminated sculptures and one-off pieces, of which several are numbered limited editions. These are made by hand in small numbers in the workshop in France, with great care and attention to detail. Ombre Portée has a clientele of galleries and home stores as well as specifiers, with whom they have been collaborating since 2004 on decorative illuminations for events and hotels.