Steel and Stone Strike a Balance in New Work by Belgian Designer Gerard Kuijpers

Working in his cavernous studio in Belgium, Gerard Kuijpers creates furniture and sculptural objects using stone and steel. The work is restrained and masculine, yet an earthy undertone comes through in the deep, black mazy marble and pearly white Carrera. For “Consoles et Autres Mobiliers” in Paris, Galerie Yves Gastou offers a collection of Kuijpers’ new work, some of which can also be seen in this year’s PAD Paris.

This new series was inspired by the stones’ natural colors, like the unique marbling in Saint Anne from Belgium or the orange-coral swirls in Portoro marble from Italy, which adds a dash of color to the otherwise black and white palette.

Kuijpers tends to work with the remains of larger chunks of stone, so the cut pieces often reflect slight flaws or uneven surfaces. He lets the stone’s imperfections and natural beauty speak for itself. It’s not uncommon, for instance, to see white veining in the black mazy stone or machine imprints from the cutting and separating process.

Though the stones take center stage, their uniquely designed steel supports perfectly balance their uneven weight and form. Kuijpers is interested in evoking a sense of lightness in his work, and at times, the large slabs seem to float over their dark gray or blackened steel armatures.