Early Life and Artistic Training

Arie Berkulin entered the world in Gemert in 1939. His early years were shaped by a natural inclination toward visual expression, a path that eventually led him to the Academy for Industrial Design in Eindhoven. It was here that he began to refine his understanding of form and structure, developing the technical foundation that would support a diverse career spanning many decades.

While he is often remembered for his work in three dimensions, Berkulin’s creative roots were planted in the world of painting. He began his professional life as a painter, working with color and surface before his interests shifted toward the physical presence of objects. In 1968, he turned his attention to sculpting, a transition that expanded his ability to manipulate space and mass.

This evolution allowed him to move fluidly between different mediums. He became a sculptor, painter, and draftsman, often working across these disciplines to explore how shapes interact with the air around them. His training in industrial design provided him with a disciplined approach to these various forms, helping him bridge the gap between the two-dimensional plane and the tangible weight of sculpture.

Technique and Artistic Style

Berkulin’s approach to creation was rooted in the logic of a constructivist and a systematist. He looked at the world through the lens of geometry, focusing his attention on the relationship between masses and the voids they created. For him, the interest lay not in the solid forms themselves, but in the spaces between them. He sought to understand how volume and area interacted, treating the empty areas as being just as significant as the material used to define them.

As his career progressed, his sculptural work underwent a visible transformation. His earlier pieces possessed a certain weight, but over time, his sculptures became lighter. He moved away from heavy mass, opting instead for smaller scales and a sense of openness. This evolution reflected a desire to capture the essence of space rather than the burden of solid matter. Even when working with industrial materials like iron or steel, he aimed for a sense of lightness that defied the heavy nature of the medium.

When he turned away from the rigid structures of sculpture to work on paper, his style took on a different, softer quality. In his watercolors, he explored more atmospheric and abstracted themes. He used the medium to capture landscapes and animal figures, moving away from strict systems toward a more fluid interpretation of the natural world. These works allowed him to explore light and shadow in a way that his more structured, geometric pieces did not permit.

Notable Works and Collections

Berkulin’s physical presence in the landscape is often felt through his heavy, industrial materials. In 1976, he worked with cortenstaal to create the sculpture Try. His interest in the weight and presence of metal continued into 1980 when he produced Ringentoren, an iron sculpture. This piece was created in a limited edition of three. Later, in 1998, he turned to folded steel plate for the sculpture Cave Canem, a work measuring 66 by 100 by 50 cm.

Beyond his large-scale metal works, his presence is felt in institutional collections. His work titled Untitled is held in the Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch. This piece is part of a body of work that explores the relationship between mass and the empty spaces surrounding it. His sketches and drawings, including works like Pioenrozen and various ink studies, show a different side of his practice, moving away from the heavy iron and steel toward more delicate, atmospheric subjects.