Douwe Halbertsma is an artist living and working in Rotterdam. He works with sculpture and art projects in public space.
Douwe’s sculptures are formed simply and with clarity. Although they may appear to depict everyday motifs, behind their simple appearance complex decisions have been made. In his works he plays with the fundamental principles of sculpture such a space, shape and mass. This play does not stay as an abstract conception but always has a consequence in the meaning of his sculptures.
Douwe's sculptures typically engage with the space in which they are shown. A photo of his work (Tongue 2005) documents it standing in front of a window in an exhibition space. The huge pink sculpture visually connects itself with the broken up street behind it, forming jointly an odd mountain landscape. Two loose skins (Girl 2003), or a few shapes stacked on top and in front of each other (The Wall Shaped Man 2008), form a human figure. And a hole in the ground, at a second glance, actually marks the impress of a giant face (Head 2002/2004).
In recent years Douwe has resided for several months in Tokyo, Japan. The influences can be found in such works as (Mitake Mountains 2010) and (Komazawa Stroll 2012); their subjects are derived from his impressions in Japan.
As a sculptor, Douwe takes a fresh look at tradition, but also enjoys making references to comics and cartoons. His fascination with the possibilities and limits of sculpture as a medium goes hand in hand with a form of humor, which widens perspectives of and lends lightness to his works.

Douwe Halbertsma was born in Delft in 1980. He studied fine arts at the Hogeschool v.d. Kunsten Arnhem, where he graduated in 2003.
Since then he has exhibited throughout the Netherlands, in such places as Stroom (Den Haag), Reinier van Ewijk projects (Amsterdam) and Ram Foundation (Rotterdam).
He has done both private and public commissioned art projects.

On this website a selection of works is presented. For a full documentation contact Douwe through the contact page of the website.