Ruben Koerhuis - image maker

Ruben Koerhuis (1959) has always been passionate about creating images that express a deeper meaning. That passion has led his personal quest of artistic expression through a diverse range of mediums including painting, film and photography as well as videography projects on assignment. Whether assigned work or creating free-form objects, his work has been guided not only by principles learned other art forms, but as importantly, integration of deeper message or meaning.

The symbolism of time, life and the never-ending human quest for meaning led to the creation of a series of clocks based on photos of well-lived antique watches. This ‘time with a past' project ultimately became ‘brokenfaces.com’: unique metal time pieces. These clocks were created in a three- year project of experimenting with metal and its ability to be manipulated. While this was a limited project, that first metal weld inspired the artist’s realization of the limitless possibilities on the horizon with free-form metal sculpting. From shape to patina, metal spoke to the artist’s passion for creating objects that tell a story.  

The metal clock was a limit that first proved necessary as a brake. Without that assignment, a free sculpture became an endless trade-off and to avoid disappointment in this new form, also as a craft, the clock was deliberately used as an internal training.

However, the free sculptor was already born. Parallel to what was brought out in the open through time pieces, ‘secretly’ ways were explored to abandon this road. The liberating theme was eventually found in the sphere (the metal ball) as a personification of the maker, his soul, his motivation or his ‘being'. In hindsight, this is no coincidence. Years ago, this theme was used in several series of free photography. These pieces just had to fall into the right place. To be recognised within the right framework. From that day on, the brake could be released and endless new work could be created with a new, very exciting horizon.

Evolution 2021: the search and story telling with a sphere as a returning form, lasted for approximately 100 sculptures, until the end of 2020. After that symbolism is found in alternative forms and in reoccurring materials like led, slate and woord. From then on the sphere as a theme was abandoned.

Ruben Koerhuis is an artist member of Pulchri Studio, The Hague. Visit.