Jantien Kahn (b. 1972) is a stone sculptor, working in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Brittany (France). After an Artist in Residency in Brittany (Côtes d’Armor) in 2014, Jantien decides without hesitation to move her workshop from Amsterdam to the Breton countryside. Her French workshop is nestled between land and sea in one of the barns of an old farm. The landscapes and the Breton coastline are a source of inspiration for her sculptural work.
In tandem with her Art Therapy studies, Jantien took sculpture classes with renowned Dutch stone carvers. Since 2003 Jantien has been a full-time sculptor. She regularly participates in exhibitions in both Holland and abroad. In 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 her work has been selected to be part of on form, a prestigious exhibition near Oxford, exclusively dedicated to stone sculpture. Jantien Kahn’s sculptures can be found in private collections throughout Europe and even in Hong-Kong.
The choice of the stone is crucial for Jantien at the start of a new project. She carefully works the surfaces of her sculptures, exposing the extraordinary colours and structures within the stone. The delicate chiselling and polishing of each of Jantien Kahn’s sculptures is painstakingly and meticulously finished by hand. Jantien is able to project the stately qualities of the stone, connecting hardness with softness and liberating the hidden.
Traces of time
‘Traces of time, growth and loss’ form a central theme in my work. In an abstract way, my sculptures tell us about the succession of generations and the connection between past, present and future. The cyclic movements in nature, as present in the seasons and the tidal action of the sea, are an important source of inspiration to me.
I have always had a deep love and fascination for stones. Their antiquity and beauty are a haven of expression to me. The material ‘stone’ contains traces of a distant past. This raw material has its own pace and it can only to a certain extent be forced by time and the hand that works it. This pace corresponds perfectly to my rhythm, bringing the tranquility and determination necessary to my work.’
Every sculpture is the result of an exciting and joyful process
of bringing to the surface that which is contained within, and liberating the hidden
while connecting hardness with softness and strength with vulnerability.
video Jantien Kahn:
