“A kind of evolution takes place in my work, through a small mutation from one piece to the next, creating a whole new world—graphic, translucent, slightly vibrating, and almost weightless sculptures.”
A Legacy of Creativity and Education
Jef Horvers was born in 1946 in Tilburg, the Netherlands, into a family where creativity thrived. His father, a European champion in women’s hairdressing in 1957, also had a passion for landscape painting, leaving a lasting impression on Jef from an early age. As a child, he was constantly drawing, finding both joy and natural talent in artistic expression. Encouraged by his teachers in high school, he pursued this passion further, eventually enrolling in the art academy in Tilburg, where he felt completely at home in an environment that nurtured his creativity.
During his studies, he specialized in visual arts education and graduated in 1979 with a project titled Arthropoda, a theme inspired by the intricate structures of arthropods. The fascination he developed during this time would remain central to his artistic journey for decades. His training equipped him with the skills and insight to explore both the technical and conceptual depths of his subject matter, preparing him for a career that blended education and artistic practice.
For over 30 years, Jef dedicated himself to teaching, working at a school for secondary special education from 1974 to 2008. Beyond the classroom, he contributed to primary education by developing a reading method between 1989 and 1999, combining storytelling with interactive exercises. However, in 1999, he returned to his artistic roots, reigniting his Arthropoda project. Over the years, this body of work has grown into a comprehensive collection of nearly 200 pieces, each reflecting his evolving techniques and deepening exploration of the subject. His career is a testament to a lifelong commitment to both artistic innovation and knowledge-sharing.
Jef Horvers: The Evolution of Form and Motion
The core of Jef Horvers’ artistic vision lies in his fascination with the delicate balance of movement and stability found in arthropods. His sculptures emerge from an exploration of how such creatures support themselves on impossibly thin legs, a structural marvel that he translates into intricate, multi-layered constructions. Through stacking and repetition, his works take on an organic fluidity that oscillates between nature, architecture, and engineering. Utilizing fine copper wire, he incorporates spring-suspended elements that introduce a subtle, rhythmic motion, reinforcing the idea of constant transformation.
A crucial aspect of his artistic process is the notion of evolution within his work. Each sculpture is a response to the one before it, developing through small modifications that gradually lead to entirely new forms. Over time, these pieces drift further from their biological inspiration, creating an otherworldly aesthetic. The resulting sculptures possess an almost weightless quality, appearing translucent and in perpetual motion, as if caught between dimensions. This continuous metamorphosis in his work reflects both the natural progression of life and the infinite possibilities of artistic exploration.
Alongside his sculptural practice, Jef also expresses his ideas through painting, a medium he approaches with an experimental mindset. For him, painting is a process of decision-making, where each brushstroke, layering, and alteration contributes to the final composition. He often works in series, allowing a single source of inspiration to branch into multiple interpretations. Textures play a key role in his paintings, revealing layers of deliberation, intuition, and revision. His interest in surfaces showing decay—such as weathered doors and aged walls found in small French villages—further informs his artistic language, capturing the beauty of time’s passage through texture and contrast.
The Studio as a Space of Precision and Experimentation
Jef Horvers’ creative process unfolds in a well-lit attic studio, a space designed for both meticulous craftsmanship and expansive artistic exploration. Since his sculptures are often delicate and intricate, he requires only a small workspace where every tool and material is within arm’s reach. This organized environment allows him to maintain focus while constructing his intricate pieces, ensuring precision in every detail. Light is a crucial element in his workspace, illuminating the fine structures he creates and enhancing the delicate interplay of transparency and form.
To balance the patience and precision required for his sculptural work, he alternates between making sculptures and painting. While his sculptures demand a methodical approach, painting offers him the freedom to work with larger, more expressive gestures. This contrast between disciplines keeps his creative energy dynamic, allowing him to shift between structured, deliberate compositions and spontaneous, fluid movements. His process is accompanied by classical music—Telemann, Bach, and Mozart—whose structured yet emotive compositions provide both focus and inspiration.
His artistic influences reflect his admiration for unconventional approaches to form and material. He was deeply inspired by the possibilities introduced by Pop Art, which broke traditional artistic boundaries. Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, known for his ability to manipulate steel as if it were paper, left a strong impression on him, as did the work of Belgian artist Panamarenko, who immersed himself in his own imaginative world. These influences have shaped Jef’s perspective, encouraging him to push the limits of his materials while constructing his own distinctive artistic universe.
Jef Horvers: A Vision for the Future
The materials Jef chooses are integral to his artistic language. Copper wire, tissue paper, overhead sheets, and fine mesh allow him to capture the ethereal transparency of insect wings and the delicate structures of microscopic life forms. Over time, he has introduced new materials, such as ceramic elements and radio tubes, which lend his sculptures a more architectural or technological aesthetic. This ongoing expansion of materials mirrors the organic evolution present in his work, where each new addition opens up further creative possibilities.
Beyond individual pieces, Jef envisions his Arthropoda project as a large-scale installation. His dream is to exhibit the evolution of his work as a single, cohesive entity, arranging over 100 pieces in a structured formation that visually represents their progression. Such a presentation would reveal the interconnectedness of his sculptures, highlighting how they collectively form a unified, ever-growing artistic system. The concept of artistic development as a continuous process is central to his work, making this envisioned exhibition a perfect realization of his lifelong exploration.
One of his most ambitious goals is to showcase his work at Museum De Pont in Tilburg, a renowned institution for modern art. Presenting his sculptures in this setting would provide an ideal space for viewers to fully engage with their intricate details and movement. Additionally, he is set to participate in the 15th Florence Biennale in October 2025, an international platform that will bring his work to a wider audience. These milestones reflect his ongoing commitment to pushing his artistic practice forward, always seeking new ways to refine, expand, and share his unique vision.
