Hennepe, Rien te

‘I love being creative’.

Self-taught sculptor Rien te Hennepe (1950) was born in The Netherlands. As a teenager, Rien was fascinated by nature. As he grew older, he also became captivated by the fine arts. But it wasn’t until much later in his life that he found a way to combine his keen interest in the fine arts with his attraction to nature.

In 2002, after retiring, Rien came to Curaçao, the island where his wife, Marjon Wegman, was born. On this island, he discovered De Tafelberg Mountain and was enchanted by its beautiful crystals and stones. A few years later, he started working with these stones, sculpting and discovering more about their forms, colors and structure.

In 2006, Rien initiated a special project in collaboration with Fundashon Pro Bista, a local institute for the blind and visually impaired. For several months, he guided sculpting sessions for a select few of the institute’s clients. The participants ranged from those with some slight form of visual impairment to those who were completely blind. The final results of these sessions exceeded all expectations, and the project ended with a successful exhibition.

Encouraged by this experience, Rien continued sculpting with the stones of De Tafelberg. He taught himself to follow the stones’ natural lines and curves. By incorporating the stones’ colors in his compositions, he strives to accentuate the material’s inherent beauty.

2013: Text by Josée Thissen-Rojer.

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