Jean Baptiste Van den Heede

Furniture maker

©Jean Baptiste Van Den Heede

Sculptural furniture

Jean Baptiste is a cabinetmaker and sculptor
He has been in Spain since 1994
He only works with native and natural woods

With a degree in Fine Arts, Belgian Jean Baptiste Van den Heede began his career as a craftsman at the age of 14 in an Arts and Crafts school in Belgium. The cabinetmaker's trade was the same one practised by his father and grandfather. Young Jean Baptiste quickly realised that he also liked to work with wood and with his hands. The first object he made was a box for his mother and since then he has not stopped working with wood. He believes that good cabinetmaking will make tomorrow's antiques possible, "which will allow us to continue to enjoy them for centuries and perpetuate the art of the restorer-conservator," he says. Today, Jean Baptiste lives in Guadalix de la Sierra in Spain, where he continues to practise this trade that he considers ancestral.

Interview

©Jean Baptiste Van Den Heede

©Jean Baptiste Van Den Heede

How would you define your work?: My classically trained techniques allow me a lot of freedom when it comes to creating and understanding how pieces works. I like to make minimalist and sculptural works that have volume.
How do you relate your work to the environment?: The use of wood is healthy for the present and the future. Working with solid wood requires reforestation and controlled forests. These provide us with oxygen, rainfall, fertility, prevent erosion and do not pollute.
What differentiates wood from other materials?: The beauty of natural wood is permanent and improves over time, just like good wine. It gives warmth to the home, can be restored and preserved for centuries. Humanity cannot move forward without reviving solid woodworking.
Why does some furniture last so long?: A dining table will last for generations. Nor does the furniture need to be made of "noble" wood as it is commonly understood. A good pine table will last for 200 years. If someone wants to pay more, they can order oak or walnut furniture.

Jean Baptiste Van den Heede is a master artisan: he began his career in 1994 and he started teaching in 2005