Five Things You Didn't Know About Kunst Met Een R

Inspired by everyday life, the Dutch artist duo Ruben Verheggen and Eva Verheggen-Post create handcrafted amicable characters and delicacies which are arranged within shadow boxes to depict whimsical yet intimate scenes drawn from commonplace affairs.
 

They delight international audiences with their comical take on familiar subjects by using a bit of irony to transform typical scenes into unique works of art. They do not stray away from inviting their audience to participate in a satirical conversation on popular culture, societal norms, and the direction that consumerism has taken over the last few decades.

While we await the opportunity to explore the pair's latest artworks in Mykonos, here are five things you didn’t know about ‘Kunst Met Een R'.

1. Ruben Verheggen’s roots derived from a culinary family who started making ice cream in the sixties. His grandparents used to sell their family’s ice cream in their bakery but now the same building is a real Italian ice cream shop where Ruben used to work as a child. The creative artist used to captivate all the possible color combinations and believes the shop to be “the best ice cream you will ever have.” Verheggen is proud to still represent his family history by launching a series of ice-cream sculptures at various Eden Gallery locations. 
 

2. When Verheggen was 18, until his 22nd birthday, he was a waiter for a Michelin star chef. He cooked for very rich people in their homes and acted as the chef’s right-hand man in serving the wine and the food. The comical artist always had to wear a suit and a tie to fit the overall serious aura of the job. These four years sparked an immense amount of inspiration within Verheggen’s artwork resulting in him coming up with characters featuring comical features. Although some characters have serious expressions, ‘Kunst Met Een R.’ always tries to make them sweet and funny. While Verheggen has grown a lot since his time as a sue chef, he continues to incorporate his experience within his artworks.

3. Ruben and Eva are not the only ones working behind the scenes. Verheggen’s mother is an artist, and sometimes she helps the pair with the gold leaves and details in their shadow boxes. Currently, ‘Kunst met een r’ is finishing a selection of artworks for Dubai and the USA and the order is quite big so Verheggen’s mother was kind enough to offer her expertise and assistance.
 

4. The Verheggen family are true foodies. Verheggen’s favorite food is ice cream, of course, but he loves everything! His father is an extremely talented chef resulting in a lot of family dinners where the dining room table is covered in different types of delicious food. Since the Verheggen family loves food, it is funny to see their children growing up and expanding their palette to all various tastes, just like their parents.

5. Although Ruben and Eva work together as a team, the pair both have distinct roles in the creative process. Ruben mostly begins with the idea and sketches it out. He then discusses his thought process with Eva and then they both start making the artwork. Ruben constructs the frames and everything in the shadow box itself while Eva focuses on the characters, the smaller details, and the finishing touches.

Ruben and Eva’s goal is to make people smile. Their motto: Don't take life too seriously. Join ‘Kunst Met Een R’ in Mykonos to indulge in their latest artworks. Click here to RSVP to an unforgettable event.