Faan Olgers in Manera Benelux

Mind Games

Amsterdam-based artist Faan Olgers uses self-imposed rules, puzzles, and processes to create forms that are inherently unique.

“My work is like a self-seeding plant,” says Amsterdam-based artist Faan Olgers. “Each piece raises new questions, and those questions become an invitation to explore new possibilities. I never run out of starting points. One work simply grows into the next.” Olgers’ practice explores geometric form, driven by a set of self-imposed processes and puzzles that result in works that are distinctly singular.

Rather than calling himself an artist, Olgers often refers to himself as a ‘constructor’. His work typically begins with sketches of foldable patterns, with the aim of creating structures that can hold themselves without glue or tape. He uses his own set of rules to explore form, driven by curiosity and challenge. “It’s a technically demanding process, full of apparent impossibilities,” he says. “I am constantly trying new approaches and angles. A single work can easily take five days of focused puzzling.” Aesthetics also play a role, with Olgers occasionally refining pieces to enhance their visual appeal, or discarding them altogether if they fail to meet both technical and aesthetic criteria. But, as he puts it, “patience and enthusiasm are a fruitful combination.”

Within his quiet, spacious Amsterdam studio, Olgers works through these puzzles, with his explorations resulting in sculptures and wooden objects that feel both playful and precise. His work is always geometric, often symmetrical, and rarely uses organic forms. Yet any apparent simplicity conceals the complex processes behind each piece. “I believe the work is harmonious and quiet, but never dull,” he says. “Those two qualities sit very close to each other, and the distinction matters to me enormously.”

Olgers knew from a young age that he wanted to be an artist, a conviction strengthened by a school visit to a museum. “Standing in those rooms, I felt completely happy and completely in my place. This was my world,” he says. After studying at Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academie, he began with handmade woodcut prints before gradually expanding into the geometric wooden objects he creates today. More recently, he has been increasingly experimenting with colour, continuing to evolve his process. Even then, it is carefully considered. “Exuberance within limits – that is my credo. The work is not cabaret,” he notes.

"I'm constantly trying new approaches and angles. A single work can easily take five days of puzzling."

Rather than aligning his work with a specific movement, Olgers remains focused on his own processes, working largely within the confines of his studio. “I don’t go out into the world searching for impressions or subjects,” he says. “Everything I need, I find inside my own head and within the walls of my studio.” While certain pieces may suggest references – some appear architectural, others resemble masks, they are never overtly referential. “The personal approach and personal form, those are what matter to me.”

Alongside exhibiting his work, he recently created a bespoke sculptural piece titled Mystery Guest for the lobby of the Rosewood Amsterdam, which artfully balances structure and playfulness.

Though his work has evolved over time, Olgers’ pieces, shaped by his own puzzles and processes, remain extensions of his questioning mind. Surrounded by his work in his Amsterdam studio, he continues with a steady focus and quiet intensity. “Creative forces can be insistent. I have a restless desire to always take one more step forward in whatever work is developing,” he says. “The work pulls me, and I follow.”

"Everything I need, I find inside my own head and within the walls of my studio."