‘Je Neemt Jezelf Mee’ (Bring Yourself)
in Memory of Designer Jan des Bouvrie

The iconic Cube Sofa designed by Jan des Bouvrie in 1969 is back home. The bronze version by Studio Job is a tribute to Jan. Studio Job pays homage to the late designer Jan des Bouvrie through this oversized bronze rendition of the Cube Sofa, complete with some of Des Bouvrie’s personal objects. The sculpture was selected for the ArtZuid art festival in Amsterdam in 2023.

Following the death of the Netherlands’ most celebrated designer Jan des Bouvrie in 2020, a group of his closest friends formed a foundation in his honour and commissioned artist Job Smeets to create a memorial for the late designer, executed in his renowned Studio Job atelier in the Netherlands.

The concept behind the sculpture refers to one of Jan’s personal mantras: “You will always bring yourself wherever you go.” In line with this, artist Job Smeets wanted to create a sculptural representation of the “absence of Jan,” as he describes it. The polished bronze sculpture immortalizes an oversized version of Jan’s iconic Cube Sofa, with his favourite ashtray, cigar box, and sketchbook left behind as if Jan has just been there.

“Everybody can sit and be, but they have to bring themselves,” explains artist Job Smeets. The sculpture serves as a memorial to Jan des Bouvrie’s legacy and his contributions to the world of design.

The sculpture is now on display at Het Arsenaal.

Kooltjesbuurt 1, 1411 RZ, Naarden-Vesting