Benjamin Volckaerts (b. 1999) lives and works in Belgium. In his creative research the artist applies different mediums and its combination developing his practice in the fields of sculpture, drawing, installation, and collage.
Having both Belgian and Korean origins, Benjamin Volckaerts brings into his creations a captivating mix of cultural heritage of European and Asian arts, moving from contemporary minimalistic shapes and materials such as plaster and polymer to the ancient technique of ceramic to create sculptures that are similar in visualization and have common roots with the objects of ancient art.
Discovering works by Benjamin Volckaerts can turn into exciting quest of decoding and following parallels in the artist’s creations with Aztec sculptures, ritual objects of Maya, Japanese ceramic from JoĢmon period, ritual African Katsina terracotta sculptures and so on.
Roots and traditions of ancient art of different epochs and countries are imprinted and evoked in Volckaerts’s objects in their modern interpretation.
The artist works with different materials and its’ combinations – plaster, cement, acrylic, metal, ceramics. Working with ceramics represents an important part in his artistic practice.
“Extending my exploration to various ceramic techniques, I got inspiration from historical practices across Europe, South America, and Asia, infusing them with my Korean heritage. By integrating the lively colors of South Korean culture with natural clay tones, I achieve captivating and harmonious contrasts”, explains the artist.
Benjamin Volckaerts’s works form a vibrant universe of personages and objects - warriors, dragons, mythical creatures, sculptures reminiscent of ritual objects, bas-relief, and collages. They appear as the embodiment of his thoughts, the fruit of his imagination, and characters of the short stories written by the artist.
Some figures represent the human body’s proportions and realize in a minimalist shape, some are realized in ceramics remarkable by its sophisticated relief finishing and textured surface with a lot of details.
In his sculptures Benjamin Volckaerts explores the interplay between abstract and figurative visulisation, starting with collected collages and drawings to shape specific forms. Within this creative process, he seeksfascinating harmonic contrasts, delving into aspects like form, color, material, content, and the viewer's perception.
The essential feature of Benjamin Volckaerts’s works is a multiple possibility of combination of their parts which gives the artist the endless source of transformation and presentation of his works. Heads, arms, parts of armors and ammunition can be replaced or swapped with other pieces which gives the to the work a new character, a new expression, and new meanings each time.
“The ceramic elements, though not permanently affixed, are designed for interchangeability, transforming the artwork into a dynamic 3D collage. Careful consideration of technical specifications in material selection guides the assembly and disassembly of my warrior figures, creating a unique blend of tradition and innovation”, the artist says.
Benjamin Volckaerts graduated from Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in 2021, in 2022 he obtained his Master degree and had a honorable mention in the selection for Mark Macken price.
Recent shows include among others:
Shoobi Gallery Antwerp, duo show, 2024, “Unmatched”, Ballroom Gallery Brussels, 2022.