Didier Henry, a blacksmith, is passionate about the possibilities offered by the transformation of metal. He works with steel, brass, stainless steel and aluminium to create bespoke pieces. Didier Henry has been working with metals since 2006.
Attracted by the fire of the forge and the plasticity of white-hot steel, he first trained alongside an old country blacksmith. Then, he studied in the forge of the Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Anderlecht, before setting up his own metal work business in 2015.
“ Fire is not only our main tool. It also has a real creative role. We’ve learned to play with it, to predict its action but, even with experience, you never know exactly what to expect. ”
— Didier Henry
Blacksmith Didier Henry and designer Ariane van Dievoet unveil the latest pieces from their collaboration, based on experimentation and the reuse of materials. These new sculptures bring out the blue stone bases that seem to merge with the brass pieces, creating dialogue between stone and metal.
The moon-like sculptures created by Ariane van Dievoet and Didier Henry are the result of their collaboration and experimentation with the forge. They unite their skills as designer and metalworker to melt the pieces of brass and give them that unique look. While perfecting their interaction with the fire, they have learned to embrace the unexpected and create around it.
Some of the brass pieces are polished and/or brushed. Others are left raw, displaying the fire patina. All are placed with precision on carefully selected stone bases.
The reuse of unused materials from their respective workshops was the starting point for their first series of sculptures. When Didier’s brass leftovers ran out, they found another source of scraps from his supplier, which enabled them to experiment with different thicknesses and adapt to the formats available. The reclaimed fragments of stone that make up the supports come from the RotorDC cooperative in Brussels and from Hebette frères in Havelange, a marble factory located near Didier Henry’s workshop. The nature and size of these off-cuts has opened up a whole new range of challenges and possibilities in shapes and sizes for the duo.