There is a distinct, fleeting moment that Los Angeles-based sculptural artist Katrien Van der Schueren searches for in her studio practice. It is not the moment a piece is finally finished, polished, and packaged for a collector. Rather, it is the exact instant when a piece arrives.
It is the moment a collection of unyielding elements becomes, as she describes it, a version of itself. Not the definitive or singular version, but the one required for right now.
To seasoned artists and critics alike, this admission represents the most honest articulation of a creative practice: acknowledging that art is often an ongoing dialogue rather than a locked-in conclusion. This philosophy underpins every industrial yet deeply intimate object that Van der Schueren brings into existence—turning raw elements that have no business being delicate into poetic, emotive centerpieces for contemporary living.
Main Facts: The Industrial Feminine
At the intersection of industrial engineering and fine art, Van der Schueren’s work challenges conventional definitions of interior sculpture. Working out of her dynamic Los Angeles studio, she manipulates notoriously stubborn, heavy-duty materials—concrete, structural steel, heavy metals, raw plaster, and bio-resin—and coaxes them into forms that are undeniably, arrestingly feminine.
The Mediums: Concrete, metal, plaster, bio-resin, and wood.
The Aesthetic Tension: The friction between heavy, industrial weight and light, graceful, organic forms.
Core Offerings: Custom wall sconces, sculptural vessels, statement fireplaces (such as her signature Gold Mural Fireplace), and hybrid objects that blur the line between functional utility and pure sculpture.
The Signature Piece:The Envelope Sconce, a 12-by-12-inch concrete wall fixture detailed with cold-applied liquid bronze tin and a white bronze finish.
For high-end interior designers, Van der Schueren’s creations occupy a rare and coveted tier in spatial design: they are statement pieces that elevate everything surrounding them without aggressively competing for attention. They do not shout; they hold space.
Chronology: The Evolution of a Practice
While a comprehensive timeline of Van der Schueren’s career spans years of material experimentation across Europe and the United States, her current Los Angeles-based residency represents the crystallization of her artistic voice.
Phase One: Material Exploration
Early in her career, Van der Schueren focused heavily on mastering the behavior of harsh, architectural mediums. Unlike artists who treat concrete and metal merely as structural backbones, she began investigating their tactile qualities—how light hits a rough-hewn surface, how cold metal can be shaped to suggest warmth, and how rigid structures can be manipulated to imply fluidity.
Phase Two: The Birth of Spatial Tension
The introduction of functional elements—such as architectural lighting and wall sconces—marked a turning point. Instead of separating fine art from interior design, Van der Schueren realized that everyday objects could act as conduits for sculptural emotion. This era birthed pieces that change dramatically depending on the time of day, interacting with morning sun and evening shadows alike.
Phase Three: The Current Studio Era
Today, her Los Angeles studio operates not as a sterile, dust-free gallery, but as a visceral, hands-on laboratory. It is a space defined by physical labor, dust, experimentation, and a profound surrender to the creative process. It is here that pieces like the Envelope Sconce and the Gold Mural Fireplace are conceptualized, refined, and brought to their temporary states of completion.
Supporting Data & Materiality: The Physics of Art
To understand Van der Schueren’s work, one must examine the fundamental contradiction at its heart: she forces industrial materials to behave with organic fragility.
Material
Traditional Purpose
Van der Schueren’s Application
Concrete
Foundations, heavy architecture, civil engineering
Folded, draped, and sculpted into wall sconces and delicate vessels
Metal / Bronze
Structural framing, industrial hardware
Applied as cold liquid finishes that shift tone and texture under changing light
Plaster & Resin
Moulding, temporary casting, sealing
Transformed into fluid, sensuous, high-impact aesthetic surfaces
This rigorous manipulation of materials has made her a favorite among high-end residential and commercial interior designers. Her portfolio spans installations across the United States, specifically tailored for environments where clients demand bespoke items that do not rely on industry trends to justify their presence.
Official Perspectives: On Surrender and Obsession
When asked to break down her creative formula, Van der Schueren resists traditional methodologies, offering instead a deeply psychological look at 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."
This perspective rejects the assembly-line mentality of modern mass production. Rather than forcing an immutable concept onto a passive material, she acts as a medium herself—listening to the physical properties of concrete and metal to discover the form already hidden within.
Furthermore, she notes that her art cannot be separated from her lived environment:
"Everything, everything you go through, everything that happens in the world, the surroundings that you create—everything finds its way into a piece. Nothing is ever made in a vacuum."
Describing the intensity of creation, Van der Schueren speaks candidly about the all-consuming nature of her studio work:
"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 for Modern Interior Design
The resonance of Katrien Van der Schueren’s work points toward a broader paradigm shift in contemporary interior architecture. As mass-manufactured, algorithmic home decor floods the market, a counter-movement is taking root—one that values narrative, physical weight, and emotional resonance.
1. The Death of the "Assembled" Room
Designers are increasingly moving away from interiors curated strictly from a shopping list of trendy products. Spaces that endure are those conceived with obsession and intentionality—rooms that mirror the singular focus Van der Schueren pours into her sculptures.
2. The Elevation of the Functional Object
By blurring the boundaries between fine art and utility (such as transforming industrial concrete into the delicate, folding aesthetic of the Envelope Sconce), makers like Van der Schueren are proving that everyday fixtures can serve as emotional anchors within a home.
3. Sustainable Craftsmanship Through Durability
By utilizing permanent materials like concrete, steel, and bronze, this sculptural approach champions longevity over fast-furniture obsolescence. These are objects designed to weather time, capturing the light of different decades within the same physical shell.
Studio Visit: The Envelope Sconce Spotlight
As part of the ongoing Studio Visit editorial series by Roomhints—which highlights exceptional makers, their workflows, and the single standout piece from their collection—the unanimous choice to bring home is The Envelope Sconce.
Dimensions: 12 × 12 inches
Composition: Industrial concrete enhanced with a cold-applied liquid bronze tin and white bronze finish.
The Visual Experience: The piece defies the inherent rigidity of its components, appearing as though a heavy slab of metal or concrete has been delicately folded by hand like a piece of paper. As natural light shifts from the stark brightness of morning to the amber warmth of evening, the bronze finish reacts dynamically, ensuring that the observer never stops noticing its presence on the wall.
How to Acquire Katrien’s Work
Katrien Van der Schueren’s limited-edition sculptures, custom fireplaces, and lighting fixtures are available exclusively through her studio. Serious collectors and interior designers are encouraged to reach out via direct inquiry.
Editorial Series Reference: Published in partnership with Roomhints, celebrating the intersection of bespoke craftsmanship and thoughtful interior design.
