Dutch artist Nelleke Beltjens makes elegant, serene
sculptures in a minimalist vein. Her range of media
includes steel, concrete, wood and plaster.

In 2004 she created a series of work using a light-
colored synthetic concrete, which she pigmented
and molded into block-like forms. The shapes varied
slightly as she explored subtle shifts in proportion
and dimension.

Beltjens’ elegant steel sculptures have transitioned
from solid, singular pieces into interlocking or dis-
connected parts. Holes and slits, which in previous
works evoked doorways and windows, have given
way to spaces defining the meeting of two forms.
Remnants of architectural associations linger, but
relationships have become prominent. The notion
of completeness is emphasized through the inter-
action or intersection of two or more parts, even
if separated by space.

Complex is the title of Beltjens’ recent series of
drawings. These large-scale ink drawings are
made of thousands of minute lines that converge
and concentrate at differing rates. The marks swarm
across the heavy paper, creating a complex system
of order and randomness. The intersections and
their ensuing density or sparseness lend a calcula-
ted, map-like quality to the work, inviting comparison
to celestial, oceanic, and terrestrial spaces as seen
from multiple perspectives.

Art Magazin 2008

Junge Kunst 2006

Interview 2003

Micro World, 2001