Imferpect Design
Hello Darkness
Handcrafted raku glazed clay light sculptures that provide the comfort of moonlight to illuminate your inner and outer space.
Hi, it’s Judit, and I’m here to share with you Hello Darkness, my series of handcrafted raku glazed clay light sculptures that provide the comfort of moonlight to illuminate your inner and outer space. This offer is available now through for the next four days only!
Hello Darkness, my series of handcrafted soulful ambient lights gently guide us how to find light inside our shadows.
A journey from inside the womb.
Before we ever see the world, we live in darkness.
Warm, rhythmic, contained darkness — the first place our nervous system ever understood as safety.
Long before language, before memory,
before breath, our bodies learned that peace does not come from brightness… but from being held.
As adults, we forget this. We’re taught that darkness is danger, that cracks are failures, and that life is a test we must pass.
Hello, I’m Judit Piros. My first clay light sculpture happened almost by accident: round, warm, cracked at the top like a cosmic seed. When I held it, it felt like a womb.
That moment unlocked everything.
Clay became the only place where my mind, body, and soul finally spoke the same language. The grounding touch, the fire’s alchemy, the unpredictable cracks, the light spilling through the broken places…
These are not just objects.
They are quiet mirrors reminding us that nothing is perfect, and nothing needs to be.
Most people think darkness is the enemy. But it's the womb of light.
THE SCIENCE
Before birth, darkness is our first world — neurologically wired for safety: warmth, containment, rhythm, held-ness. Later, our nervous system craves it to regulate, yet culture calls it danger.
We chase brightness, fleeing the fertile void where transformation begins. Truth: every seed, every baby, every rebirth emerges from the dark.
We need it. In darkness, the brain downshifts; senses soften. Sleep, grief, stillness — all repair and reorganize here. It frees us from performance, returning us to intuition and renewal. Without it, we burn out. With it, we become whole.
Most people think safety comes from control.
True safety is letting go.
THE SCIENCE
The nervous system once survived by gripping tight: predict, manage, perfect. Control felt like protection.
But trauma research reveals the paradox: deepest calm arrives not through certainty, but through trust (in self, in connection, in the present moment).
When we finally loosen the grip, the parasympathetic system exhales: “You’re safe now.”
Tension releases. Openness floods in.
Strength and vulnerability turn out to be the same thing.
Most people think life is serious.
It’s just a game.
THE SCIENCE
Play isn’t childish; it’s neurological medicine.
It sparks neural plasticity, expands the prefrontal cortex, drops cortisol, restores agency, and teaches the nervous system that learning can feel safe.
When we play, survival mode switches off. Curiosity, experimentation, laughter, and movement become possible. Stuck energy flows. Bonds deepen. Mistakes become data, not threats.
Play widens your emotional range, rehearses flexibility, and reminds the body it’s alive.
A life without play is a life without breath.
Life isn’t a test you can fail; it’s a game you master by playing.
Raku glazing, with its beautiful unpredictability, never grows old. Colors are a rough guess, influenced by weather, kiln conditions, placement, and even how well the reduction container is sealed. And the feeling of seeing my pieces come to life in the kiln never fades. The thrill—and fear—of pulling a fragile creation from a 1,700°F fire is something I’ll always embrace.
I do not choose my art—it simply comes alive through my hands.
Everything crafted by human hands is perfectly imperfect—or imferpect, as I like to say. Unique and full of soul. As AI and automation increasingly shape the world, these human imperfections become a bridge between people. And since embracing this idea, I’ve found peace with my own imperfections, too. Like scars that need mending, they tell a story.
Clay is the art of the four elements—fire, water, earth, and air—all balanced in the right amount, at the right time. Until a certain point, you can shape, refine, and even undo your work. But beyond that, the transformation is irreversible.
Uncertainty is constant—any piece can break in an instant, no matter how much time or effort went into it. It’s a stark reminder of life’s fragility. To walk this path, you must embrace the process and accept the risk.
I’m captivated by clay’s duality—raw force at first, then the lightest touch. You support it until it stands on its own. These quiet metaphors keep me rooted at my crafting table, shaping not just clay, but thoughts. As an impatient person, I marvel at my ability to persist—to smooth rough surfaces, to work through cracks. It’s deeply satisfying. I hope my art shapes my mind the same way—to stay flexible, to follow where the clay leads, both in art and in life.
FAQS:
What is this offer?
Hello Darkness is my series of moon-inspired handcrafted raku glazed clay light sculptures. Through their different styles and lighting techniques, they each provide a comfortable and comforting glow to your space, creating a calm, cosy environment where you can feel safe to go within.
What is the theme of this series?
My soulful ambient lights remind us that beauty shines through our cracks and imperfections, even in our darkest moments. And when the lights go out—or when we’re going through a rough patch—our inner glow becomes stronger. Darkness is necessary for certain kinds of light to shine through, and my work has taught me to stay flexible and find peace in the fragility of life.
How do you create your work? And what exactly is raku?
I am primarily interested in problem-solving, so each new piece is often a continuation of previous ones or an experiment to explore different approaches. For example, with the moon-inspired pieces, I have experimented with various elements:
The opening of the piece (to allow light in)
Different light sources (bulb, LED strip, or pixie lights)
The necessity and design of a supporting leg (or whether it is needed at all)
The form and size of openings, examining how they shape the light and where negative space becomes overwhelming
The balance between light intensity and visual comfort, avoiding excessive brightness that can be harsh on the eyes
Improving the way the light source is fixed
Exploring surface textures and unique finishes
Each piece presents a challenge that I find both exciting and inspiring. My concept revolves around solving these problems while maintaining both function and aesthetics.
I usually have a vision in mind, but there are moments when progress halts—when the clay refuses to take the shape I imagined, no matter how I try. At those times, I have to stop and listen. Sometimes, after days or even weeks, inspiration strikes, and it feels as though the clay "tells" me what it wants to become. I simply follow my intuition.
This process is particularly evident during the building phase. The challenge here is stabilizing the soft material so it doesn't collapse under its own weight. Later, as the clay dries, it presents the opposite challenge: it becomes durable but difficult to shape or pierce. I navigate a constant back-and-forth between these stages until I reach the right form.
Once the structure is complete, I cut or punch the design. This stage is always daunting—it feels almost painful to "ruin" a perfectly smooth surface with holes or cuts. But the piece needs them, so I take the plunge. It's a delicate balance, knowing when to stop and not overwork the design.
After this, I refine the surface again, smoothing each hole one by one. Then comes the first firing, the bisque stage. This is an irreversible transformation—after this, the ceramic will never be soft again, though it still absorbs water, which allows glaze to adhere.
I usually choose raku firing, partly for the beautiful metallic colors and shine, but also for the instant gratification—I can take my lamp home the same day. The process involves coating the piece with raku glaze and heating it to the desired temperature. Meanwhile, I prepare a container filled with flammable materials like paper or sawdust. Once the glowing hot ceramic is placed inside, the flames ignite, and then I seal the container, cutting off oxygen. This reduction process creates stunning metallic effects in the glaze.
The final step is inserting the light and seeing whether the result matches my imagination—or, as often happens, turns out even better.
I’d love to have one of these Hello Darkness Lamps. How do I know which one is right for me?
I’m delighted to hear that! We can discuss that together through a discovery call. You can schedule that with me by clicking the button on this page that says CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE A CALL WITH ME.
What would we cover on our discovery call together?
We will look at why this theme resonates with you, why you feel drawn to it, and specifically how it could serve to enhance your daily life. From there, we can see whether or not one of the light sculptures in this series could serve you in that way now or in the future.
What if I want to explore this series, talk to you to learn more about it, but am not ready to invest just yet?
That is what the discovery call is about—for us to explore this series. So regardless of whether you think now or later is better for you to actually invest in a Hello Darkness illuminating artwork, book your call now so we can dive into this together!
What about shipping?
I offer free shipping inside the USA. If you live abroad, please contact me for an estimate.
As for packaging, I use manually shredded paper from my household as padding (this has been the most eco-friendly solution so far!). I pack it into a quality gift box and then I add extra padding before putting it all into another box to prevent any damage.
Did you love your sculpture but broke it?
No problem, just send me pictures of the original along with the broken piece and I’ll do my best to make you a new one. Please note, however, that colors and details will not be exactly the same as raku has an unpredictable nature.
Tell me more about the charity you support.
Sure! I’ve received so much help from others over the years that I feel I need to give back. Tanulj, Teso! which means Learn, Bro! in my native language, is a Hungary-based association that helps children living in poverty participate in summer camps and after-school programs. I donate 10% of all my sales from Hello Darkness to this amazing organization.