NATIONAL MUSEUMS NORTHERN ISLAND PURCHASE BOUKE DE VRIES TEAPOT STILL LIFE II

We’re delighted to share that National Museums Northern Ireland purchased Teapot Still Life II, 2020, by Bouke de Vries.

De Vries’ ‘Still Life’ series is inspired by the symbolism of Dutch still life painting: “The butterfly in still life is a symbol for the resurrection in (the) way I see what I do through my work.”

Using his skills as a restorer his ‘exploded’ artworks reclaim broken pots after their accidental trauma. He has called it ‘the beauty of destruction’. Instead of reconstructing them, he deconstructs them. Instead of hiding the evidence of this most dramatic episode in the life of a ceramic object, he emphasises their new status, instilling new virtues, new values, and moving their stories forward.

National Museums Northern Ireland hold more than 15,000 historical and contemporary artworks. This includes painting, sculpture, works on paper, glass, ceramics, silver and metalwork, jewellery, furniture, costume, and textiles.