WHEN MATTER
SPEAKS

 

Belgian born sculptor Katrien Van Der Schueren has quietly built a practice defined by intuition, material curiosity, and a deeply spatial understanding of form. Now based in Los Angeles, the self-taught artist approaches sculpture not as a fixed object but as an unfolding conversation between hand, material, and environment. Her work inhabits the space between sculpture, architectural intervention, and collectible design, where surfaces carry both physical presence and emotional resonance.

Van Der Schueren’s work evolves through an instinctive engagement with material. Wood, stone, clay, metal, resin, plaster, and composite media are not merely mediums but collaborators in the creative process. Rather than imposing a predetermined design, she allows form to emerge through a sequence of gestures that involve shaping, layering, carving, and subtracting. The result is sculpture that feels both deliberate and organic, monumental yet intimate in its tactile presence.

This intuitive dialogue with material has become a defining feature of her practice. Surfaces appear eroded, folded, or quietly expanding outward, suggesting geological processes or natural growth. Through touch and repetition, the artist transforms dense materials into forms that carry a surprising sense of movement and softness. The works often read less like static sculpture and more like fragments of a landscape brought into the architectural interior.

Over the past several years, Van Der Schueren developed a new body of work that has drawn increasing attention from collectors and designers. These sculptures extend beyond traditional freestanding objects, expanding into lighting, murals, and spatial installations that interact directly with architecture. In many cases the work subtly reshapes the rhythm of a room. Light shifts across textured surfaces. Curved volumes soften structural lines. Sculpture becomes atmosphere.

Two recent international presentations marked an important moment in the artist’s trajectory. In Miami, a curated selection of works was presented at Una Casa Privada by Una Malan, where the sculptures were installed within an intimate domestic setting. The exhibition included collectible lighting pieces, mirrors, murals, and smaller sculptural works. Among them was Endless Summer, a sculptural lighting form that extended the artist’s exploration of gesture into illumination. Rather than functioning simply as design objects, the works altered the spatial experience of the interior, allowing material and light to shape the environment itself.

 

 

Installed within the refined architecture of the residence, the pieces entered into a quiet conversation with their surroundings. Curved surfaces captured and diffused light, while layered textures created a sense of depth that shifted throughout the day. The presentation demonstrated the natural affinity between Van Der Schueren’s sculptural language and contemporary interiors, reinforcing her appeal to collectors and designers seeking works that carry both presence and emotional nuance.

Around the same period, Van Der Schueren presented a new body of work with Galerie Jag at PAD Paris, the influential design and art fair held at the Jardin des Tuileries. The presentation introduced an ambitious mural concept titled The Ark of Us, a sculptural wall composition that incorporated hidden doors embedded within the surface of the work. The gesture evoked the spirit of a cabinet de curiosité, inviting viewers to move beyond observation and into discovery.

With this project, Van Der Schueren expanded her practice into an even more experiential dimension. The wall functioned simultaneously as artwork and architecture. Sculpture became threshold, opening and concealing space within its own form. The hidden door element is expected to remain an evolving signature within her mural practice, reinforcing her reputation as an artist who activates architecture rather than simply decorating it.

Operating between a European cultural sensibility and the expansive creative landscape of Los Angeles, Van Der Schueren has developed a distinctly transatlantic artistic voice. Her work has been presented in recent exhibitions at Onna House, while a feature by NOWNESS offered an intimate view into her studio practice and process. Collaborations with prominent interior designers including Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Nicole Hollis further demonstrate the natural dialogue between her sculptural work and architectural space.

Collectors have increasingly sought out Van Der Schueren’s work for its ability to bridge art and environment. Her sculptures are held in notable private collections including those of Jordana Yechiel Reubens, David and Angela Nazarian, and Lisa Perry, among others. Each work carries a sense of rarity, shaped by a deliberate and tactile process that resists rapid production.

Today, Katrien Van Der Schueren stands among a new generation of sculptural artists redefining how contemporary work inhabits space. Rather than treating sculpture as an isolated object, she approaches it as a living element within architecture, where material, light, and movement converge. Through this quiet yet powerful language of form, her work continues to expand the possibilities of what sculpture can become within the environments we live in.

Discover more of Katrien Van Der Schueren’s sculptural works and evolving artistic practice at

www.katrienvanderschueren.com

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