BACKGROUND
Stef van der Bijl was born in 1981 in Deventer, the Netherlands. With an artistic mother and a father working in the automobile industry, Stef got inspired at a young age by art and cars. He started drawing and playing with Lego before he could walk.
After the studies Art Academy, Photography and Small Business, Stef started working at the renowned gallery of the Dutch Label Droog Design. Inspired by industrial antique and Dutch Design, Stef launched his own design initiative in re-using existing materials: vanderBijl design & interior.
REINVENTING PAST INTO FUTURE
Vanderbijl stands for ‘Reinventing past into Future’. Most antique objects have been overtaken by time and lost their original functionality. Most of the items used were found on industrial scrapyards all over Europe. By upcycling this ‘waste’ into new functional designs, these products reveal their history in our today’s society.
“The question: Is it art, antique or design? is not relevant for me, I want to make unique and useful artworks, which shows it’s history and the personal touch of it’s (re) creator, that combination is what makes my work unique.” With it’s unique and handmade designs Stef van der Bijl has it’s aim to blow new life in forgotten, useless antique & industrial objects by reinventing them into stylish interior objects such as lighting and furniture.
VanderBijl wants to inspire the world by making timeless pieces inspired by nature and the industrial revolution. Besides his lighting collection, he also creates furniture made from car and aviation parts. By working strictly with professionals and specialists, Vanderbijl realizes various interiors, furniture, lighting and automotive designs for clients all over the world.
