What do you do when someone in your house accidentally breaks a delicate ceramic plate or bowl? You probably mope a little at the loss of the precious ceramic cutlery and then throw the broken shards in the dustbin. What else can we do, right? But artist Bouke De Vries uses these damaged ceramics and creates wonderful art out of them.
Born in the Netherlands and living in London at present, Bouke has made a name for himself by creating delicate modern art out of discarded and shattered ceramics. In fact, he’s now being touted as ‘The Porcelain Phoenix”. The goal of the artist is to ensure that all broken ceramics be able to continue living even after they have suffered a fatal “accident”. This is why he attempts to breathe new life in them with his precious skills. According to Bouke, any broken object can be into a work of art in its own right.
The Dutch artist studied at the Central St. Martin’s in London and worked in high fashion before moving towards ceramics conservation and restoration in the early 1990s. He learned this art at West Dean College and has been using his skills ever since by giving a second life to various ceramic objects like plates, vases, cups, or even teapots. Sometimes he uses broken blue willow plates into a map of China and sometimes he uses small shards of porcelain to make the thorns on a blossoming rose. The highlight of Bouke’s art is that he reforms ordinary things into something beautiful that revels in the charms of their previous forms.
The artist has worked with porcelain as a restorer for 15 years and has now begun his own practice. Interestingly, while Bouke searches for broken pottery and glass shards to begin his work, he never breaks an undamaged piece; his only aim is to reinvigorate damaged ceramics.
Let’s now take a look at some of the most beautiful works of Bouke De Vries.
See Also: 27 Ways to Re-Use Broken Household Items
These Colorful Embroideries Bring Dead Leaves Back to Life
A Brazilian artist named Solange Nunes uses dead leaves as a canvas for embroidery. Check out some of her best works.
The Thinker: Little-Known Facts About the Famous Statue
The Thinker by Auguste Rodin is one of the most famous sculptures in the world. But there's so much we still don't know about it...
These Charming Animal Sculptures Are Made From Scraps
Artist Bryony Rose Jennings uses discarded scraps of fabric to build whimsical animal figures. Check out her best works!
These Paintings Transport You to the Mountains
Enjoy this beautiful collection of paintings by renowned Russian artist Nicholas Roerich.
12 Artworks by J.M.W. Turner That Are Worth Adoring
Take a look at some of the finest artworks by English painter J.M.W Turner that still look so unique and charming.
16 Playful Porcelain Figures That Look Like 3-D Drawings
Take a look at the stunning handmade porcelain figures by Katharine Morling.
40 Works of Street Art That Will Make You Stop And Think
Many beautiful works of art have been found in the most unique places. These artists make the streets their canvas and pour their hearts out to the world.
A Gorgeous Cover of a Beautiful Classic...
Watch two incredible artists use voice and cello to bring this classic song to life.
This Interpretative Dance Made Me Scream With Laughter!
Watch David Armand ridiculously mime Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now,' while a couple of audience members try to guess the song. Hilarious!
Is This 10-Year-Old Frank Sinatra Re-Incarnate?
This boy was born blind, but sings like a certain famous singer.
I've Never Seen a Choir Do THIS...
I don't think anyone has ever attempted what this choir is doing with ease!
These Cute Paintings Celebrate the Playfulness of Mice
Check out American artist Stuart Dunkel’s delightful mouse paintings.
This Musical Duet Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes...
This amazing violin and piano cover of Hallelujah is one of the most beautiful things you will ever hear.
10 of the Most Famous Dog Paintings Throughout History
Dogs have been a part of art history through the ages. Let’s explore some of the most famous dog paintings ever made.
14 Outstanding Animal Sculptures from Around the World
we have collected for you 14 special, familiar, surprising and sometimes charming animal sculptures, and the story behind them...
What Happens When You Bring a Typewriter to an Orchestra?
Who knew that a typewriter would pair so beautifully with the sounds of a violin?
Watch 20 of the Best Eurovision 2023 Performances!
Embark on this Eurovision journey and discover your new favorite songs and singers!
How Does He Do It? This Magician Is Beyond Incredible!
28-year-old Ben Hart magic tricks will turn even the most stern-faced skeptic into a believer. Tell us if you can figure out how he does these things, because we certainly can’t!
Don’t Miss This! This Woman’s Crochet Skills Are Insane
Stephanie Pokorny, a talented crochet artist from the US creates the most intricate and spooky costumes for her children every Halloween
Spectacular! What an Innovative Form of Art This Is
Have you ever seen sculptures, brooches and decorations like this before? Check out this stunning art!
Listen to This Incredibly Beautiful Piece by André Rieu
In this beautiful performance, André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra perform 'Etude nr. 3 in E-dur' from Frédéric Chopin.
When the Erhu Is Playing, Everyone Stops to Listen
A beautiful and touching Erhu Performance. Is there a more beautiful sounding instrument than this? We don't think so!
Enjoy 24 Songs by the Legendary Eric Clapton
On the 30th of March, 2020, is Eric Clapton's 75th birthday, and we'd like to celebrate it with him by listening with you to 24 of his greatest hits.
With These Piano Concertos You'll Be in Musical Paradise!
With the magnificence of the orchestra and the intimacy of a piano, these 24 classic piano concertos simply have it all!
These Real Seashells Look Like Pieces of Sunken Treasure
This seashell art is unlike anything I've ever seen before... absolutely stunning!
Acrobats on Unicycles? Now I Really Have Seen It All...
These Chinese unicycle acrobats will completely blow you away! Check out their daring performance here.
This Is How 11 Ancient Roman Ruins Looked Like In the Past
Very little of ancient Rome remained to this day, but here is a wonderful reconstruction of some of the most famous sighs.
André Rieu Plays a Terrifically Fun Funiculi Funicula!
A magnificent performance by the incredible violinist André Rieu.
These 15 Showstopping Designs Truly Take the Cake...
These cake designs prove that there's more to cake making than just mixing up a few ingredients in a bowl, as these creations are true art!
This Watercolor Animal Art Is Expressive and Whimsical
Artist Luqman Reza creates expressive animal paintings using watercolor paint. His artwork is truly stunning.
All Lovers of Films Should Watch These 7 Epic Biographies
Looking for your next cinematic obsession? You can't go wrong with these 7 epic biographical films.
Lord of the Dance Performance With Michael Flatley!
This step dance performance by Michael Flatley and Lord of the Dance is beyond beautiful!
This Was One of Elvis Presley's Last Great Performances
Here's an extremely rare and great quality video of the King, Elvis Presley introducing and performing "Unchained Melody".
The Grace in This Performance Is Jaw-Dropping
This beautiful combination of dancing and acrobatic performance will totally take your breath away. Be sure to watch it right now.
This A-Capella Version of Hallelujah Will Give You Chills
A beautiful remake of a wonderful classic.
The Chinese Butterfly Dance is Pure Magic!
Prepare to be enthralled by the passion, precision, and profound emotion conveyed in each step and gesture of this graceful dance.
This Romantic Dance Duo Routine Will Give You The Chills...
A perfect dance by the dance couple, Duo Flame, that will leave you breathless.
‘My Heart Will Go On’ by This Violinist Will Amaze You!
Seeing talented children is always inspiring, and 11-year-old Karolina Protsenko is a true prodigy. Watch her perform Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'.
This Performance Took Me Back to a Joyous Time in My Life
Have a listen to this beautiful song...
These Paintings Transport You to a Pastoral Dream World
Denmark's most famous landscape painter is one of the art world's greatest secrets. Have a look at these wondrous examples of his work.
Indian Dance Crew Sets America's Got Talent Alight
Looks at the mind-boggling dance performance of a young Indian dance group. They wowed the audience and the judges alike with their act.
Artist Merges Animals With Their Own Habitats - 15 Pics
Artist Sujay Sanan creates wonderful watercolor paintings of animals merged with their own surroundings.
If You Love Clint Eastwood, You'll Love This Performance
The Danish National Symphony Orchestra create a fantastic experience with their performance of the song from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
This Has to Be One of the Best Musical Trios Ever!
What a classical team 2Cellos and Lang Lang make! Their performance of "Live and Let Die" is outstanding!
I Was Blown Away by the Detail in these Spectacular Art Works
Calvin Nicholls' technique seems to be a cross between drawing and sculpture. He uses fine lines of an intricate sketch, yet captures three-dimensionality of a statue. This is a collection of his incredible work.
I've Never Seen Anything Like These Cakes. I'm Dumbfounded.
These cake submissions from an online competition are more amazing than I would have ever imagined.
This Pianist’s Rendition of Beethoven Should Not Be Missed
Watch as one of today's most talented concert pianists performs Beethoven's beloved concerto no. 1.