Jean Baptiste Van Den Heede

Jean-Baptiste Van den Heede is a contemporary Belgian designer and sculptor whose work fuses artisanal tradition with artistic innovation. Born in Argentina in 1966, to an Argentine mother and a Belgian father, he moved to Belgium at the age of five. From an early age, he was immersed in the world of wood, working in the family workshop with his father and grandfather, both renowned cabinetmakers.
His academic training is extensive and multidisciplinary. It began with four years of study in carpentry, followed by five years in cabinetmaking and carving. Later, he delved into furniture design and the history of antiques. Finally, he graduated with honors in Sculpture from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Liège, Belgium.
In 1995, he moved to Barcelona, where he taught drawing and sculpture classes at the private school "La Main et l'Esprit" and offered summer courses in Liege. During this period, he explored reliefs on various supports, such as trees, floors, and manhole covers, seeking analogies between contemporary art and prehistoric and African artistic expressions.
A few years later, he settled in the south of Spain where he founded a private contemporary art workshop. During this time, he continued his work as a cabinetmake...

To train as a wood professional, he first studied 10 years of cabinetmaking and furniture carving and design. Always looking to contribute something more to his craft, he studied Sculpture at the Royal Academies of Fine Arts in Liège (Belgium) and graduated with honors.

Work stone, wood and experience bronze casting. From the beginning it is directed towards a search for signs, abstract writings and unreal figures in analogy with other "primitive" cultures.

He taught drawing and sculpture in Brussels at the private school “la main et l´ esprit” as well as summer courses in Liège (Belgium) “les ateliers d´art contemporain”.

In 1995 he moved to Barcelona where he taught and investigated the reliefs of different supports such as trees, floors and especially sewer covers.

He again looked for analogies between current art and prehistoric, African art, etc.

He participated in several exhibitions both at an artistic and avant-garde design level.

It is defined as "a search engine without haste or guidelines." He says: "I only work when I feel a strong and positive inspiration invade me, an energy that I capture from matter, from the air and that I return doing the work until I feel a connection with it."

He currently works in his wo...

Personal exhibition “ESCULTURAS Y DIBUJOS” Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla-La-Mancha, 2008.
Honorable mention in the International Sculpture Contest “RUTA CINEMATOGRÁFICA PEDRO ALMODÓVAR” 2008 for a sculpture in Granátula de Calatrava.
Collective exhibition at the Junta de Comunidades de Albacete, 2008.
Collective exhibition in Abelardo Sánchez de Albacete Park, 2008.
Great retrospective and personal exhibition at the Municipal Museum of Albacete, January 2009.
Member of Albacete “REACTIVE COLLECTIVE” ARTISTIC GROUP.
Collective exhibition at the Casa de la Cultura de Pinto (Madrid) 2015.
Participation in the MADRID DESIGN FESTIVAL 2023.
Participation in the ARTIST360 Contemporary Art Fair 2023.
Stand at the Contemporary Art Fair ARTIST360 2024
Group exhibition at the gallery FUCAR 22 in Madrid for 9 months between 2023 and 2024.
Group exhibition at the ORIGEN gallery in Madrid, 2024
Group exhibition at the PITIJOPOS GALLERY 2024
Stand at Art FAIR MARBELLA 2024
Group exhibition at the Municipal Museum of Albacete with La bicicleta Azul 2024
Great personal and retrospective exhibition at the MARTIN CHIRINO Gallery, Centro Socio Cultural Pablo Iglesias, San Sebastian de los Reyes 2024