Item Description
In 1993 Hans van Bentem started working with the world-famous Ajeto glassworks in the Czech Republic, he immersed himself in the great tradition of Bohemian crystal. This experience inspired the first of his exuberant crystal chandeliers, skull and bones, created in 1995. He has wowed the likes of several Royal families and Madonna with his bizarre chandeliers. Every chandelier is a one-off piece. He made this spectacular very large chandelier in 2005. Provenance: Café Proust, Amsterdam. (in situ in the interior bar photos) Literature: Hans van Bentem, Keep on dreaming. Hans van Bentem, sculptor, is well known for working in different media. He creates mostly monumental sculptures and installations in ceramics, porcelain, crystal, glass, wood and bronze. The beauty of his work is his almost childlike notion of the surrounding world. His vision is always fresh, playful and full of wonder. His work is realistic yet also cartoonish, sometimes erotic and even fairy tale like. Van Bentem does not like to be pinned down. He uses all aspects of the kaleidoscopic cosmos—whether it is art history archetypes, pop culture icons or pure fantasy figures. These figments of his imagination never stop amazing the viewer. In recent years Van Bentem has had major shows in the Gemeente Museum, The Hague, Kampen Museum and Glass Museum Leerdam and has collaborated with amongst others Baccarat. His work can be found in private and public collections and in several Dutch Ministries and embassies. Van Bentem graduated from the Royal Academy of Art The Hague, the Netherlands. He lives and works in Amsterdam, NL.
