ECRITURES Print

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 cabinetmaker and sculptor and designer, developing pieces that combine functionality and aesthetics. After 5 years, he moved to the Sierra de Madrid, where he currently resides and works. In his workshop, he uses exclusively native and natural woods, maintaining a philosophy respectful of the tradition of mastery in woodworking and deeply avant-garde in design and respect for nature. Throughout his career, he has won several awards for avant-garde furniture and has achieved distinctive designs of national and international renown. His artistic work is characterized by the search for signs, abstract writings and non-realistic figures, influenced by "primitive" cultures and his academic training. He has participated in numerous exhibitions both at an artistic and avant-garde design level, establishing himself as a leading figure in the field of contemporary design and sculpture.