For as long as Berry Dijkstra can remember, he has been thinking visually. He can't turn it off: for him, everything is about form, colour, composition, balance and framing. He eats with his eyes, so to speak; through film, art, photography, and especially in everyday life, he sees unintentional form experiments, colour combinations, and still lifes everywhere that most people overlook. Berry combines these qualities into his freelance practice focused on product design. He is active in organising shows, is a design collector, and is an interior and object photographer.
Berry's love for design is rooted in collecting vintage designs. He is always searching for design treasures to enrich his personal collection and for interior projects he works on. Through his work as an interior stylist, he broadened his horizons to contemporary design. When designing and decorating an interior, the focus is on functionality and practicality. In response, he began applying the 'Form Follows Fun' principle to his interiors. From this vision, he has made a name for himself as a composition artist with stacked furniture installations. Functionality is completely subordinated to the careful arrangement and rearrangement of furniture and objects. He creates friction by merging different worlds and by stacking, twisting, and combining. In doing so, Berry has developed his visual signature. The furniture installations look casual; however, once the viewer zooms in, it becomes clear that nothing has been left to chance. The still lifes are meticulously constructed and captured carefully on film. Always from a frontal, low vantage point to emphasise the architectural aspect. Often, the environment within which the installation is constructed plays a role. Like a scenographer, he creates installations that are grand in form and rich in colour and material. Berry's strength lies in effortlessly merging different worlds, eras, and materials into a harmonious and appealing whole.
Berry stays away from trends, hypes, and knock-offs. His personal collection consists of slow designs by mostly young designers and studios, combined with mid-century classics and postmodern objects, and complemented by ocean liner memorabilia, graphic works, and toys from his childhood. His ever-changing interior is a collection of memories and expressions of a taste he has developed over the years, allowing the collection to grow steadily and become more layered over time.
His perspective on form, colour, material, and design knowledge has resulted in collaborations with galleries, fairs, and stores, and has led to numerous print publications. He also has a keen eye for emerging talent. He supports this talent by acquiring works for his own collection, offering designers a platform in his shows and installations, and creating community.
Text: Suzan Geldof
clients
iCOON, SUITE 702, Bijenkorf, MisterDesign, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Shåk Gallery, Studio HENK, Tylko, Valerie Objects
publications
VT Wonen Design, El País, Mood.zine, De Standaard Magazine, Mãnera, Eigenhuis en Interieur,
Elle Decoration, Stijlvol Wonen, Architectural Digest / Get clever, Dutch Design Week, Sabato,
Finnish Design Shop, &C magazine, Loods 5, De Morgen, Weekender, Residence, De Standaard
board member
