Arno Declercq: Raw and Graceful Design

Dark and monumental. These two words resemble the work of Arno Declercq, whose recent collection embodies the raw and graceful mood that has earned the attention of many.

Belgian furniture designer and art dealer, Arno Declercq, makes sculptural objects with a great passion for design, atmosphere, history and craft. After many travels and learning about interior design, materials, history and African art, he opened his own gallery focusing on ethnographic art and design. In 2017 Arno launched his brand with rough bespoke items. The collection has been inspired by the idea of ancient interiors which used to be filled up with monumental and static vases or candlesticks.

The strong, artisanal pieces are made of tropical hardwood called Iroko — which he discovered after a trip to West Africa — and are combined with Belgian Oak. A Japanese technique where the objects are burned to protect the wood from weathering and subsequently fixed to get a patina look is used to magnify the material. Each piece of wood is hand-crafted on the spot by Arno and his father. The beauty of the veins and the texture of the black, solid wood reveals itself in each object in its own, unique way.

All images courtesy of Arno Declercq