Eline Laauwen

Eline is a graduated glazier and a self-taught artist with a strong background in craftsmanship. In her practice she explores harmony, interconnectedness and the relationship between material and the intangible. Fascinated by the recurring symmetries, forms, patterns and rhythms that are found throughout nature and the cosmos, she researches the underlying structures that connect the different forms of existence. From microscopic levels to cosmic. The symbiotic web in which all is connected.

Harmony is a recurring thread throughout her world. Rather than seeing it as fixed or perfect state, she approaches it as an ongoing process of balance, transformation and the dependency between it all. Fascinated by the idea of matter—as something that can carry presence and meaning—and animistic perspectives, she builds a base for her artistic research. It invites her to explore the relationship between the tangible and the unseen. It creates the possibility of a deeper sense of connection between ourselves, materials, and the world surrounding us.

Her work is deeply rooted in craftsmanship and material engagement. She uses slow, repetitive and labour-intensive processes to explore between structure, tactility, transformation and connection. The materials are not only tools for expressing an idea. The quality, limitations and responses actively shape her work.

“Through a prolonged and intimate relationship with the material, I come to sense a presence within it. As though through time, touch and creation the material becomes embedded with a soul of its own.” — Eline Laauwen