Boris de Beijer - Artefactum 3000

Love for craftsmanship

A love of classical craftmanship forms the core of De Beijer's work. He wants to know everything about the materials he works with: how they behave in different treatments, how they relate to other materials, how to apply them. 'For many artists and designers, the craft element is one of the least glamorous aspects of their work. Rather, they talk about the grand and sometimes magical moment of a blow-in of an idea. The inspiration. But for me, this blow-in is not possible without first immersing myself in 'dirty' work. Ideas come to me by diving directly into the material,' says De Beijer. 'Craft unjustly has an underdog position in the art and design field, while in fact many great artists and designers, ancient and contemporary, are guided and inspired by craft. For me, this is an inescapable recurring theme.'

Experimenting with glass

De Beijer prefers to learn the ancient techniques from Greek and Roman civilisation, 'where everything began. My ideas emerge from that research into materials and techniques.' De Beijer plays with the idea of 'grandeur' by imitating works from antiquity in non-traditional materials. In recycling shops, for example, he finds (copies of) classical figurines that inspire him, or he makes his own (glass) version of an Etruscan vase with stamped studs, based on an image in a catalogue. 'Craftsmanship is a central focus for me but is both used and misused.' For the new works, De Beijer started experimenting with glass. Working with glass specialists Frederic Van Overschelde and Sander van der Wal of the Van Tetterode Glass Studio, he mastered the craft, resulting in beautiful glass objects.