De Voorkamer by Daniel Kruger

Artist list

Daniel Kruger

Being born in South Africa where Dutch is still a native language, Daniel Kruger is familiar with our word 'voorkamer' (frontroom). Both in our country and in South Africa, the word used to have a specific connotation: it meant the special room in the house, usually at a farm or mansion, which was only used for entertaining important guests. In this way our FrontRoom supplied not only the title, but also a fitting location to welcome Kruger as a new artist in our gallery.

To understand the stature of Kruger, it will suffice to mention the series of retrospective exhibitions planned around his jewellery: starting in December in the Grassi Museum Leipzig, the show will travel to Pforzheim and Hanau, with its final destination at the end of 2015 in the Municipal Museum of Den Bosch in The Netherlands. The fantastic book published to accompany these presentations, shows pieces made over the last 40 years, starting exactly after the moment Kruger choose Germany as his new place of residence.

During all these years he kept himself far from the trends and developments which manifested themselves in the jewellery world. In his work you'll find no political or conceptual approaches, nor anecdotes or personal confessions. He remained faithful to the metier of the goldsmith which provided and provides him with an abundance of challenges. Kruger is keen to explore new territories, and has in due course investigated an amazing scope of expressive means and introduced them in his jewellery.
A fine selection of work employing a great diversity of materials, colours and finishes will come to Amsterdam, testifying to Kruger's characteristic personal style.

* During the opening Daniel Kruger will be present to sign his book 'Between Nature and Artifice', published by Arnoldsche.

Ward Schrijver
(© Galerie Rob Koudijs)