A few years ago I did a post on the chandelier designs by Dutch sculptor Hans van Bentem for Rock and Royal, a Rotterdam based company that handcrafts giant beautiful ceiling-suspended custom crystal chandeliers for a select clientele and museums (15 of the chandeliers were commissioned for the Netherlands Escher Museum).
It's time for an update on these one-of-a-kind works. Hans van Bentem's hip chandeliers continue to defy the traditional ornate crystal monstrosities that we are used to seeing, now with even edgier designs.
Made from high quality Bohemian crystal, each is a hand crafted, custom-made work of art, tailored to the customer's personal taste and specifications.
The taste of their customers has grown trendier since my last post, given that their impressive works now include more weapons, a diamond, a dick and even a 'virus':
Gun:
M-16:
Bomb:
Diamond:
Dick:
Virus:
The creations also include a Human form, a Buddha, and a pipe that seems to be inspired by surrealist Magritte's famous "This Is Not A Pipe" painting:
Human:
Buddha:
Pipe:
Of course there's the requisite Skull and Crossbones:
and a Spider:
and a Shark:
In addition to these unusual, but really beautifully crafted pieces, they do have some kinder, gentler creations.
Bird:
Seahorse:
Lion:
Bottle:
Airplane:
and some very random ones like the Hammer and Sickle:
and a Wheelbarrow:
Some really incredible installations:
Rock and Royal also creates custom mosaics by artist Arno Coenen, you can see those here.
Rock and Royal
P.O. Box 21046
3001 AA Rotterdam
The Netherlands
tel. 0031 (0) 10 - 280 71 71
fax 0031 (0) 10 - 280 70 71
About Hans van Bentem:
Born in The Hague, he now lives and works in Rotterdam, the Czech Republic and China. A multi-talented artist, he works in ceramic as well as glass and creates many installations and sculptures beyond the chandeliers, like his wonderful glass aliens, a few of which are shown below:
see his own website here.