13 may 2025, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Hanne Arends
What do we lose as we grow older? Why do we become less uninhibited? These are questions that have vexed Hanne Arends and given rise to her new series of glass sculptures entitled Rebels.
"Why did we burst out laughing so often as children and why does that seem to fade in adulthood?" Yet there’s great potential in that lack of inhibition. For Rebels, a series of figurative glass sculptures, she gave her inner child complete freedom. “I worked without expectations and let everything simply come to me while sketching.”
We spoke with Hanne Arends (NL, 1995) about her studio, how she managed to graduate from two art academies simultaneously and what she would create if given carte blanche. Rebels is currently featured in an exclusive online-only exhibition on Gallery Viewer.
Hanne Arends, Princeville, 2025, SmithDavidson Gallery
Where is your studio located and what does it look like?
My studio is located next to the Damen shipyard near the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam-Noord. It’s in a large warehouse shared with several other artists and makers. My personal space is quite elementary. I’m on the ground floor and my studio is built from a steel frame with plasterboard walls. In the winter, it’s really cold, but pleasantly cool in summer. It’s a dynamic space, with walls full of colourful sketches and tangled thoughts. In the corner is a large wooden tufting frame where I can create wall tapestries as large as 3x3 metres.
You work with materials like ceramics, glass and marble. What makes a good studio for you? What are the bare essentials?
For me, a good studio is a neutral place where new work can come to life. But it also needs to be a space without boundaries or limitations. I make a lot of art in my studio. But for materials like glass and marble, I collaborate with specialised craftsmen who I can learn from. These pieces usually come into being outside my own studio.
If I were to intern with you, what would a day in your studio look like?
Your day would start with a ferry ride to Amsterdam-Noord. We would begin at around 9 or 9:30 am by discussing the plans for the day. As an intern, no two days would be the same and you would have to be flexible. On Monday, we might be stretching wall tapestries and packing artworks and on Tuesday, we might be in Leerdam early in the morning, blowing glass and assisting with crucial steps in the process.
Congratulations on your presentation at KunstRAI and online exhibition on Gallery Viewer! The show is called Rebels and features glass sculptures of figures. What is this series about?
Thank you! Rebels grew out of a theme that has been increasingly on my mind as I grow older. Why did we laugh so uncontrollably as children and why does that fade in adulthood? I’ve noticed that I take life more seriously now, have more expectations and give less room to the child within me. But it’s precisely in that lack of expectation and in being uninhibited that love and growth are found.
That’s why, with Rebels, I gave my inner child total freedom. I worked without expectations and let everything that came to me during quick sketches flow freely. Without thinking, I showed them to the glassblower, Gert Bullee, who I work with and that’s how these unique glass heads came to life, each with its own story and character.
Hanne Arends, Odetta von Lauser, 2025, SmithDavidson Gallery
During your studies, you developed a fascination for paradoxes, identity and the narrow line between appearance and reality. Can that also be seen in Rebels?
Absolutely. Rebels contains the inner conflict that often appears in my work: seemingly cheerful heads that simultaneously say something about growing older and social expectations. My signature style is recognisable in the playful and layered character of the work: figures that are out of balance, eyes that are slightly off and colours often described as bold or provocative. It’s a kind of language I speak in and with the material.
You studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven and Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam at the same time. How did you manage that, practically speaking?
It was quite a challenge and didn’t always go smoothly. I remember one day when I had an important exam at both schools at the same time. I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to prepare my work as best I could at Rietveld so the teachers could evaluate it and then rushed to Eindhoven to be there in person. The Rietveld teachers weren’t pleased, but fortunately, they were understanding and I was allowed to do the assessment later. Those four years were intense and required twice the effort, but I’m proud of what I accomplished. It was all worth it.
How did those two programmes complement each other and why were you interested in them?
The Design Academy provided clear final assignments: frameworks and goals and you worked toward an outcome. This structure taught me to discover new possibilities within limitations. Rietveld was the complete opposite. There, it was all about letting go of the end goal. You were encouraged to ignore expectations and simply create. Doing both programmes simultaneously meant I had to produce twice as much and challenge myself in different ways. I found that incredibly stimulating. It broadened both my thinking and my practice.
Hanne Arends, Miss Momnon, 2025, SmithDavidson Gallery
You’re only 30 and at the start of your career. Where do you hope to be in five years?
Wow, that’s a great question. Five years from now, I’d love for my sculptures to be displayed in large public spaces. I also hope to still live in a world where, as a female artist, I have the freedom to create whatever I want—on my own terms.
Suppose I were to give you carte blanche and neither money nor time was an issue. What kind of project would you choose to work on?
I’d create a monumental sculpture in a public space right in the middle of the city, hard to miss and almost absurdly visible, a work that creates connection and invites people to truly see one another and treat each other with more consideration. In our polarised world, such a work is urgently needed. I’d love to work with stainless steel. A piece like Cloud Gate by artist Anish Kapoor in Chicago inspires me—it’s accessible, layered, grand, yet human, especially because it reflects.
Hanne Arends, Pablo, 2025, SmithDavidson Gallery
