First presented in July 2024 at the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design, this series marked the beginning of Nick Valentijn’s practice. Each piece was made directly in metal—cut, welded, assembled—without preparatory drawings, in an intuitive, continuous process.

What emerged were utilitarian forms that verge on sculpture: a stool, a shelf, a candle holder — raw in structure, refined in finish. Seams and distortions are left visible, not as flaws but as traces of making.

These early works laid the foundation for Valentijn’s ongoing approach, where function and form remain in constant negotiation.