Arno Declercq

Arno Declercq is young, very young… but at only 25 years old this Belgian has already amassed quite a following. He credits the path he is on to his influential parents. His father was a fashion designer that accumulated a 20-year-old collection of African art objects that were a pivotal part of his home’s decorations and his mother owned a contemporary shoe boutique selling high-end brands such as Ann Demeulemeester and Rick Owens. Declercq quickly realized the utter importance of culture and art and his unique upbringing played a big part in his career choice of art dealer and designer.

Last year, Declercq made his United States debut at Garde Los Angeles. At the gallery, he displayed his expertly handcrafted stylish objects which have a historical connection as a result of cutting-edge material experimentation. He uses Belgian Oak that he treats with a black stain and waxes the wood to create a deep textural patina.

Each year, Declercq develops one or two collections comprised of big furniture and smaller pieces such as bowls, side tables, and vases.

In 2017, Declercq launched his brand with bespoke items which were inspired by the idea of ancient interiors. All the pieces were made from Ikoro. The designer discovered this tropical hard wood during a trip to West Africa and he combines it with Belgian Oak to make his pieces.

Further, Declercq uses a Japanese technique where objects are burned to protect the wood from weathering and to allow it to patina. Part of what makes the process special is that either Declercq or his father hand-crafts each piece of wood on the spot. At that point, the beauty of the veins and the texture of the black, solid wood comes through.

Declercq’s fascination with African Art is a result of a series of research trips he took to West Africa. Taken over a number of years, these trips allowed Declercq to truly understand the importance of cultural preservation in ancient art.

His own collection is heavily influenced by all of this… and it pushed Declercq into using atypical materials and designing interesting shapes. Working with a palette of blacks, greys, and rich browns, each hand-crafted piece, whether furniture or accessory, has a different texture and finish.

It was only a couple of years ago that Declercq was forced to shutter his shop and with the last bit of his money, bought a second-hand lathe. He learned how to woodwork watching YouTube videos and started creating his own designs. Luckily, Los Angeles’ Garde fell in love with his designs and approached him… the rest is history!