Artists in Bruges

Maud Bekaert

Maud hero blog

If you are searching using the term ‘letter sculpture’, you will undoubtedly immediately find Maud Bekaert. Self-willed, creative and innovative, but first and foremost letter sculptor in heart and soul.

Designing letters by hand and applying them to stone with hammer and chisel is what Maud lives for. At the start of her training in letter sculpturing, design and calligraphy she soon knew what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. No sooner said than done. With 20 years of experience Maud Bekaert is a leading letter sculptor that Bruges can be proud of.

Say it in a sculpture

In 1996 she opened her own studio in Bruges, where her work can be admired. Maud brings ideas to life with various materials, gives free rein to her own creativity in her own projects and also sells an extensive gift collection. So Maud’s DIY factor is considerable. She is fascinated by traditional handicraft and loves to immortalize sentences in something tangible.

WOR(L)DS

Her collection is exhibited all over the world and distinguishes itself by its rather idiosyncratic and taut character. In a time in which everything is supposed to go fast, Bekaert wants people to escape for a moment and enjoy the beauty inherent in letter sculpture.

In addition to her passion for creating, she also lost her heart to Kheylisha in 2004. In this South-African city, better known as a slum of Cape Town, Bekaert started a collective to train people to be letter carvers. By travelling back to South Africa every year she wants to share her skills with the local people.

In 2008 she brought the WOR(L)DS project to life. The project is a collaboration between South-African calligraphers who make the designs and Flemish letter sculptors who realise the design. With the money generated by these designs Maud supports the population of Kheylisha.

Handmade, literally

From pencil to brush and from chisel to 3D printer. Maud is a master in combining centuries-old traditions and innovation. Thanks to her open and innovative view of her work she is able to give every piece a surprising twist. Each piece is handmade. But handmade is not equal to obsolete. She never misses a chance to learn new techniques. As she says herself: ‘New techniques can only enrich me as a maker and are a great asset for the craft.’

Maud has her own studio/shop in Bruges for people looking for an original gift or simply want to treat themselves to a fine piece of poetry.
More info: https://maudbekaert.be/winkel/

Bruges sizzles.

Bruges is a city with an ancient face, but with the heart of a young twenty-something. The centuries-old city of art keeps reinventing itself non-stop, even though it looks like a place where time has stood still. We will gladly prove to you that modern Bruges is more than the sum of its historic parts.

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