VERHEYDEN'S LATEST COLLECTION, ARCHETYPES, A 20-PIECE RANGE THAT IS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVLY VIA THE BELGIAN GALLERIST

PIERRE MARIE GIRAUD, INCLUDES BRONZE LAMPS, MARBLE TABLES AND A CLASSIC OAK SCREEN. IT WAS INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF DONALD JUDD AND JEAN-MICHEL FRANK, AND, LIKE THEM, VERHEYDEN IS INTERESTED IN SIMPLE STRUCTURES, BUT ALSO RICH TEXTURES.

"IF I DESIGN A CHAIR, I WANT PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE ITS BASIC SHAPE - BUT THEN I LIKE TO PLAY WITH THE MATERIALS," HE SAYS.

INDEED, THE COLLECTION'S BENCHLIKE SOFA IS STRUNG WITH MANILA CORD AND SITS ATOP GOUGED OAK LEGS EVOKING SNAKESKIN, WHILE A DECORATIVE BRASS BOWL IS POLISHED SMOOTH IN PARTS BUT LEFT ROUGH AND UNFINISHED AT ITS BASE. WITH HIS TABULA RUNDA WRITING DESK, THOUGH, VERHEYDEN PLAYS WITH FORM AS WELL : IT CONTAINS TWO HIDDEN DRAWERS AND LEGS THAT HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE EDGES TO THE CENTER, CHALLENGING OUR NOTIONS OF JUST WHAT AN IDEAL TABLE MIGHT BE. AS VERHEYDEN SAYS, "THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LONG ENOUGH TO SEE HOW I MIGHT CHANGE IT."