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About Roger Vandeweghe
Roger Vandeweghe (1923-2020) is regarded as one of the most important Belgian ceramicists of the 20th century. He received his training at the Higher Institute of Saint-Lucas in Ghent (1940–1945) and completed a short but influential internship with Joost Maréchal in 1947, a key figure in elevating ceramics as an art form in Belgium. Together with his brother Laurent, Vandeweghe began producing ceramics, which led to the founding of the Perignem studio, Latin for per ignem, "through the fire."
The workshop was first established in Aalter and moved to Beernem in 1949. Perignem combined a commercial production line with a more artistic one, allowing the brothers to develop a distinctive formal language. In 1955, Roger left Perignem and founded the Amphora studio in 1956 in Sint-Andries, Bruges. While Laurent continued the production at the Beernem workshop, Roger pursued an increasingly autonomous artistic practice at Amphora.
As the commercial work was gradually delegated to assistants, he focused on sculptural ceramics and refined wheel-thrown pieces. His oeuvre is defined by elegant forms and a richly nuanced palette: vases, bowls, pots, dishes, jugs, and the elongated, flute-like bottles that sometimes reach almost human height. His work soon gained international recognition. In 1964, he became the first non-Italian to receive the Premio Faenza, the highest distinction awarded at the prestigious annual ceramics competition in Faenza.
Today, works by Roger Vandeweghe can be found in major collections, including the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, the Municipal Museum of Ostend, the Sterckshof Museum in Deurne, and museums in Munich, Faenza, Cologne, Leipzig, and Stuttgart. His legacy stands as a vital chapter in Belgian ceramic history, where craftsmanship, modernism, and artistic innovation converge.