With Otur, designer David Raes aims to craft objects that feel as relevant today as they will decades from now. From a childhood love for round, cylindrical shapes to Bernd & Hilla Becher’s Grundformen: dive into the story and creative process behind our groundbreaking lamps.
Oturs creations are entirely handmade in Belgium. From the wood base to the linen shade: a local network of craftsmen turns every lamp into a unique piece. No two are the same.
For woodturning, Otur partners up with a family business. After experimenting with different woods, sipo became the solid choice for our lamp base. The wood is oven dried, assembled and glued to make a solid column. The bases are then turned in the workshops of expert craftsmen. Beautifully veined wood and handicraft make each lamp distinctive.
Otur’s home base of Kortrijk has a rich history in flax and textiles. That’s why we picked a local partner for the creation of our lamp shades that stand out by magically revealing the natural fibres of this material. Details matter: that’s why every piece is equipped with a solid bakelite switch, an elegant textile cable and a distinct plug. To finish it off, we placed a felt bottom on our lamps, so they glide smoothly and land softly wherever you place them.
Creating timeless objects: that’s the quest of Otur creator David Raes. Being a brand designer, he’s often confronted with the shelf life of his work. To compensate for that volatility, he settled behind the drawing board in a search for timelessness in form and materials. The result? Complementary lamps with a distinct personality, each one bringing a sense of calm and serenity into your space.
Otur’s pieces are inspired by many things. A childhood love for cylindrical objects. Years of research into the world’s most acclaimed artists and designers. And of course, Bernd & Hilla Becher, who documented a large amount of archetypical forms of industrial buildings in their groundbreaking work ‘Grundformen’. It’s no coincidence that our creations are reminiscent of their photographs of water towers, industrial installations and much more.
