Love for classical craft is at the heart of De Beijer’s work. He wants to know everything about the materials he works with: how they behave in different treatments, how they relate to other materials, how to apply them. “For many artists and designers, the craft element is one of the least glamorous aspects of their work. Rather, they talk about the grand and sometimes magical moment of a blow-in of an idea. The inspiration. But for me, this infusion is not possible without first immersing myself in the “dirty” work. Ideas come to me by diving directly into the material,’ De Beijer said. ‘Craft unjustly has an underdog position in the art and design field, while in fact many great artists and designers, ancient and contemporary, are guided and inspired by craft. For me, this is an inescapable recurring theme.’