There is a distinct, fleeting moment that Los Angeles-based sculptural artist Katrien Van der Schueren describes when discussing her creative practice—not the moment a piece is finished, but the moment it arrives. It is the precise threshold where an object becomes, as she defines it, a version of itself. It is not necessarily the definitive or final version, but rather the one that belongs to the present.
For an artist working at the intersection of raw industry and tactile intimacy, this admission is remarkably honest. It acknowledges that creation is not an act of absolute dominion over matter, but rather an ongoing dialogue. This philosophy serves as the foundational ethos behind every tangible object, wall sconce, and sculptural vessel that emerges from her studio.
Main Facts: The Industrial Feminine
Katrien Van der Schueren works predominantly in mediums that, by all traditional conventions, have no business appearing delicate. Her palette consists of raw timber, heavy-gauge metals, rigid plaster, bio-resin, and industrial concrete. Yet, through an alchemy of intuition and technical mastery, she transforms these brutalist elements into forms that are undeniably, unmistakably feminine.
Her work exists in a state of constant, captivating tension:
The Materiality: Heavy, unforgiving industrial substances paired with light, fluid, and organic silhouettes.
The Scale of Production: Ranging from bespoke architectural installations like the striking Gold Mural Fireplace to functional art pieces such as wall sconces and sculptural vessels.
The Design Footprint: Her pieces have been integrated into high-end residential and commercial interiors across Los Angeles and international design markets, specified by interior architects who prioritize emotional resonance over mass-market conformity.
The friction created by juxtaposing heavy industrial materials with gentle, evocative forms is the primary objective of her practice. It is an exploration of contrast where the concrete never pretends to be anything other than concrete, yet behaves with a poetic grace rarely associated with urban infrastructure.
Chronology: The Evolution of a Practice
While Van der Schueren’s finished works appear inevitable—as though they were always meant to take their specific shape—the timeline of their creation is deeply organic and unstructured.
The Conceptual Phase: The process begins not with rigid blueprints, but with a mental framework shaped by immediate surroundings, current global events, and accumulated life experiences. As Van der Schueren notes, nothing in her practice is ever conceived in a vacuum.
The Studio Engagement: Entering her workspace reveals an environment defined by labor rather than sterile perfection. It is a messy, active ecosystem where raw materials are manipulated, tested, and altered.
The Physical Dialogue: The timeline accelerates or decelerates entirely based on the tactile interaction between maker and medium. Through a continuous cycle of shaping, adding, and subtracting, the material dictates its own evolution.
The Threshold of Arrival: The timeline culminates in the arrival phase—the moment the sculpture achieves its temporary definitive state, ready to be introduced to architectural spaces where it interacts dynamically with shifting natural and artificial light.
Supporting Data: Spotlight on the Envelope Sconce
To truly understand Van der Schueren’s material alchemy, one need only examine a representative piece from her portfolio: The Envelope Sconce.
Feature
Specification / Detail
Dimensions
12 × 12 inches
Primary Medium
Structural Concrete
Surface Finish
Cold-applied liquid bronze tin and white bronze finish
Typology
Functional wall lighting / sculptural object
Visual Effect
Mimics the appearance of hand-folded paper executed in heavy-gauge metal and stone
The Envelope Sconce exemplifies the artist’s ability to bend industrial expectations. A 12-by-12-inch square of concrete is manipulated to look as though it has been casually folded by hand, capturing light and shadow differently from morning dawn to evening dusk. It is an object designed to make occupants pause, reflecting how materiality can be coaxed into emotional expression.
Official Responses and Artist Philosophy: On Obsession and Surrender
When pressed to articulate her working method, Van der Schueren avoids clinical formulas or manufacturing terminology, offering instead a deeply psychological view of her craft.
"Sculpting, to me, is very much an intuitive process. Almost subconscious, really," Van der Schueren explains. "I can think about a piece, and what I want to make, but it’s only once I start playing with the materials, shaping, adding, removing… that it becomes clear what the piece needs to be. And mostly, the only thing I can do is to surrender to that process."
Rather than forcing an external concept onto an unwilling medium, she listens to the physical limitations and properties of the concrete, wood, and metal, finding the form hidden within. This philosophy extends into an intense, all-consuming creative state. Describing the immersion required to produce her collections, she characterizes the studio experience as a profound psychological engagement:
"It’s an amazing, wonderful love affair. And it’s also very much… an obsession. You’re in this bubble. Time dissolves. There is no Tuesday, Wednesday. You’re just obsessed. You can’t stop thinking about the piece."
Implications: The Future of Intentional Interiors
The rising prominence of Van der Schueren’s work highlights a broader, significant shift within high-end interior architecture and design culture. In an era dominated by mass-produced catalog items and algorithmic design trends, her sculptures represent a rejection of the superficial in favor of emotional permanence.
For contemporary interior designers, pieces like her wall sconces and vessels occupy a rare, highly coveted tier: objects that elevate an entire room without competing for dominance. They do not shout; they hold space. They align with the philosophy of designing rooms that are deeply contemplated rather than superficially assembled from a checklist.
As collectors and architects increasingly seek out works that tell a authentic story through raw, unmasked materials, Katrien Van der Schueren’s studio stands as a testament to the power of intuitive surrender—proving that true luxury lies in the obsessive, uncompromising pursuit of artistic truth.
Discover and Connect
Studio Inquiries: Katrien Van der Schueren’s sculptural works and lighting objects are available directly through her studio for interior designers and private collectors.
Instagram: Follow her ongoing studio updates at @katrienscult.
Editorial Note: This profile is part of Studio Visit, a weekly editorial series by Roomhints published every Friday, highlighting visionary makers, their uncompromising practices, and the defining objects of modern design.
