Stijn Guilielmus Ruys

My work results from a profound analysis of the definition and function of ‘furniture’. What is the meaning of concepts like ‘cupboard‘, ‘chair’, or ‘table’? Too often we still associate a ‘chair’ with four legs, a seat, and a back. I want to break with the obvious and create a formal language in which the focus is on visual tension. Through subtle interventions I set out to disrupt the expectations of the user/spectator. Playing with contrasts is a recurrent element: light / shadow, stability / instability, recognition / alienation. The tension between the practical and aesthetic value of an object is a constant in my work. Although my objects do not seem functional, they are. Perception and playing with perspective are of vital importance in my work. Depending on the point of view, the user/spectator is confronted with completely different images of the object, with a line pattern that creates deformation and movement, or gives the impression that all could fall over at any moment. Nothing is what it seems. My creations try, in a sense, to transcend the laws of gravity. My aim is also to create objects that establish a dialogue with the viewer and the surrounding space. Objects that emphasize certain lines in space, that delimit or extend it. I am fascinated by dynamism, transformation, and asymmetry, although a certain balance is always preserved. High-tech methods are often used in construction, in order to obtain an accurate and balanced result. Paradoxically, it is precisely this complex production process that creates the effect of simplicity: stripped-down surfaces and elements hide carefully thought-out constructions. Stijn Ruys.