Sander Wassink, a Dutch artist, shines a light on the often-overlooked. He transforms discarded objects and crumbling structures, challenging our perceptions of beauty and value with stories of hidden beauty he creates. Infusing life into remnants and half-formed artifacts, he reveals the latent splendor in what’s been forgotten.
Wassink’s method, a stark contrast to modern design’s rigidity, captures our dynamic interactions with space. His projects draw inspiration from organically evolved communities. As a result, they blur the lines between architecture and artifact, as well as the private and the public. His art engages us in a conversation to discover the subtle beauty that surrounds us.
Having resided in Japan for over three years, Wassink’s ‘Out of Office’ exhibit at Cave Tokyo Gallery ( → ) began to take form. This process started with a bike journey from Kyoto to Tokyo, during which he collected a myriad of objects, sounds, videos, and images.
Subsequently, this quest for tangible engagement brought him to Kentaro Watanabe ( → ), who welcomed Wassink into Haku Gallery ( → ) to serve as his creative sanctuary.
Striving for connection beyond the digital domain, Wassink journeyed along Kyoto’s Kamo River, curating a collection for the gallery. This project intertwines his Japanese experiences with a narrative of remote work, yielding a tangible memoir. It stands similar to a photographic essay, yet is deepened by the physicality of his efforts.
In essence, Wassink’s work explores the potential for new aesthetics within the abandoned. The installations of repurposed glass and ceramics not only serve as design pieces. They also act as narratives enriched by their history. His practice offers a refreshing alternative in a world preoccupied with the new. It steers us to appreciate the hidden charms found in the interplay between the ephemeral and the enduring. Similarly, it highlights the intimate and the communal.