Beliën, David

The Netherlands, 1976

Glass art

David Beliën lives for glass. The main focus of his work is transparency. He plays with the contrast between inside and outside. He seeks a balance between sleek monumental shapes and coarse textures.

David Beliën does not only aim to be a glass artist but a true professional. The craft of glass-blowing requires a fast and extremely precise technique. You cannot work in a hurry, but not too slowly either. The glass pieces go into an oven of around 1150 degrees Celsius. There must be a balance between purposeful action and artistic integrity. Yet, David’s objects are often sober.

Using old alchemical knowledge, he knows how to treat the glass in such a way that the question arises whether the glass is a translucent rock, or perhaps something alive? David Beliën aims to create an intrinsic silence in his objects. The object itself can create a concrete effect on people’s living spaces.