Ben Storms is a Belgian designer and craftsman who thinks in terms of materials. By using state-of-the-art techniques he transforms them to captivating shapes that defy expectations. Storms equally masters thinking and making. He has refined his craft as a stone mason, sculptor and woodworker. In his practice, he often combines traditional techniques with high-tech processes to create unique pieces of furniture with a sculptural character.
In my practice as a designer, I push materials to their boundaries, often questioning common notions. Does marble always have to look heavy? Can steel look soft? By creating shapes that verge on the impossible, I confuse the viewers, make them lose their balance briefly, and stimulate them to look at familiar materials with a fresh eye.
Like the materiality that is the result, the transformational techniques in my practice are paradoxical: both centuries-old, e.g. the laborious sanding and polishing of marble, and ultramodern, e.g. 3D scanning or CNC milling. It is in this meeting of extremes that my works are nestled.”
