Hervé Van der Straeten: Bold Expression With Careful Execution

Hervé Van der Straeten

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Hervé Van der Straeten, a French designer, was born in 1965 and educated at the École des Beaux-arts in Paris. His geometric, sculptured jewelry lines boosted his profile beginning in 1985. His eye-catching designs for furniture, mirrors, and lighting have earned him international acclaim. Hervé Van der Straeten is fully self-sufficient, and his work mixes bold expression with careful execution. His watchwords are hybridization, grace, and refinement.

The Van der Straeten Gallery, which debuted in Paris’s Marais neighborhood in 1999, features one-of-a-kind or limited edition items organized into thematic shows. The tremendous presence of these sculptures makes them readily recognizable. They are created at the designer’s bronze and cabinet-making facilities, which he has established and extended over the years.

He has also designed goods for prominent luxury companies, many of which have become design icons, such as Dior’s “J’adore” perfume bottle, Guerlain’s “KissKiss” lipstick, and the “Excess” series for Saint Louis glass producers.

The designs of Hervé Van der Straeten are presently in high demand among significant collectors, worldwide interior designers, and institutions.

His work has been shown at galleries such as Karsten Greve and Ralph Pucci, as well as in the world’s largest art shows such as TEFAF and PAD.

The Mobilier National, which has been the official supplier of furniture and ornamental goods to the French state since Louis XIV’s reign, as well as the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, have both bought examples of his work.

Hervé Van der Straeten’s workshops have won numerous awards, including being named a “Living Heritage Business” (“Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant”) by France’s Ministry of Culture in 2007, and becoming a member of the Comité Colbert – an association formed to promote the concept of luxury – in September 2012. Hervé Van der Straeten was appointed Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2008.