Bregje Sliepenbeek (1986, Breda, NL) is a Dutch artist working at the intersection of sculpture and textile-like metalwork. Originally trained in jewelry design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, she diverged from body-related adornments to create large yet lightweight metal wall hangings. Her work challenges the rigid nature of metal, transforming it into fluid, almost textile-like compositions.
Sliepenbeek’s process is deeply rooted in craftsmanship, repetition, and an intuitive dialogue with her materials. She hand-hammers and manipulates sheets of aluminum, shifting their inherent characteristics and making them appear soft, organic, and responsive. This trance-like act of shaping metal creates works that seem to move—reacting to light, air currents, and the viewer’s position.
Her pieces, such as Ancient Garden (2022), explore themes of transformation, impermanence, and tactility. The metal, though firm, takes on a malleable quality, appearing almost weightless. The cut-out shapes, reflective surfaces, and curved compositions evoke a sense of movement and transition, reinforcing the idea that her works are never static but always in dialogue with their surroundings.
Through her innovative approach, Sliepenbeek bridges the gap between industrial materials and organic forms, creating ethereal, floating sculptures that challenge our perception of weight, structure, and permanence.
