About Stefan Schöning

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the sculptures of Stefan Schöning, modern design, traditional craftsmanship, and cultural memory converge.

With his series Langkawi—named after the Malaysian archipelago off the country’s west coast—the Belgian designer draws on local wood and mask carving traditions, translating them into a contemporary, universal formal language.

Created in collaboration with Gardeco Objects, the Belgian design label renowned for uniting modern design with artisanal authenticity, the series reflects a shared commitment to sustainable and responsible creation. The founders of Gardeco collaborate with artists and designers around the world who share this philosophy.

Schöning, widely recognized for his clear, minimalist aesthetic, approaches the subject with architectural precision and human warmth. Each sculpture is carved by hand from a single block of Malaysian hardwood by local artisans. The irregular contours, deliberate asymmetry, and interplay of light, texture, and grain give the works an intense calm—where geometric clarity meets organic movement.

Between abstraction and suggestion, forms emerge that neither conceal nor portray, but invite the viewer into quiet dialogue. They balance between sensuality and structure, emotion and construction.

In Langkawi, two worlds meet: the precision of European design and the intuition of Southeast Asian craftsmanship. The result is a work that does not dominate a space but defines its balance—a subtle statement on the power of reduction. Within this harmony lies what Schöning sees as the essence of his practice: simplicity as the highest form of precision.

VITA

Stefan Schöning is a Belgian designer based in Antwerp. He studied Industrial Design at the Henry van de Velde Institute in Antwerp and works on projects ranging from product design to public space design.