Bruno Helgen

Black sand

2023

Was born in Paris en 1959. He lives and works between Bali and Paris. Bruno Helgen studied at the National School of Fine Arts of Epinal. Until 1986, he worked as a photographer for the collective Press Agency. He worked in film production before starting his career in the design industry in 1995. Helgen Globes are fashioned out of ancient recycled teak and tamarind heartwood as well as state of the art resins. For his black globes, the artist uses volcanic sand from the black beaches of Northern Bali. The results are dictated by Helgen’s vision; through the science of the resins and the micro- environments in which these long dead trees both flourished and met their demise. This tradition came from Balinese master carvers and craftsmen whose skills have been passed down from generation to generation. Bruno Helgen’s design uses local teak wood from Bali and the final shape of the globe is adjusted to the beauty and imperfections of the piece of wood. With a wooden base, he also creates furniture (tables, chairs...), that he mixes with volcanic sand, lacquer and metals. The globes are available in an array of colors, each with a highly individualistic rendering of our planet, the wood telling its own understory.