Modern icons in vintage wood
What started as a hobby, collecting memorabilia which he would then turn into colorful collages, progressed into a passion to equal another, that of vintage cars. In 2005, merging these two passions, Diederick set about the task of recreating his beloved 1966 Mustang, immortalizing it to become his first ever piece for ‘Oudhout’ (literally: Old Wood).
Working predominantly from photographs, each piece is hand carved and assembled using reclaimed, genuine colored wood that Diederick scavenges himself during daytrips around his native Holland and travels around the world. He gets tipped frequently when centuries old floors (his favorite material because of the history and the natural patina of ages) are torn out of buildings all over The Netherlands. Painted wooded planks, flooring from old mansions and rural farmhouses have all found a place in his work. Often the material comes first and then, sometime much later, it finds a place in a work.
When asked if there is a favorite wood he is drawn to, Diederick is quick to point that color is the leading factor when sourcing material. A single work can consist of over a hundred different pieces of color, and therefore over a hundred different pieces of wood, giving his sculptures its unique perspective and irregular surface. By not altering or treating the wood Diederick incorporates the history of the material, adding depth to his work.
Popular culture is the leading inspiration behind Diederick’s work as well as a touch of the ironic. In creating items that actually have a monetary value, such as a hundred dollar bill, work is being created that has a set value yet is made solely from material deemed worthless. As he explains, ‘A 100 dollar bill stands for being solvable for a lot for people. But this piece is built out of materials that people have thrown away because they deemed it worthless, valueless. I like the irony of that´.
It is Diederick’s goal to create beautiful and desirable icons out of materials that people have discarded. His work has been exhibited all over the world. His work has found its way into private and corporate collections on each continent except for Antarctica. In 2010 he won the ´Sculpture Award´ at the international street art competition ARTAQ. He received an honorary mention for his portrait of HM the Queen Beatrix in 2013 at the exhibition 'Image of Beatrix'. For this portrait he also received the second place of the popular vote....He was commissioned to create a portrait of the new King, Willem Alexander for the permanent collection of National Museum The Loo Palace.
He lives and works in Holland. Kraaijeveld has his workshop spaces in the oldest (1916) industrial building of Hilversum, a former pharmaceutical factory, called Werf035 (Wharf35)
In the UK Kraaijeveld is represented by Plus One gallery (www.plusonegallery.com), in Dubai by Cuadro Art gallery (www.cuadroart.com) , in NYC by Cheryl Hazan Contemporary (www.cherylhazan.com), in Istanbul by SODA (www.sodaistanbul.com) and in Germany by Die Hamburger Galerie (www.hamburgergalerie.de).