Belgian Craftsmanship
The
Atelier
Reinout Van der Straeten. Ghent-based designer and maker. Redefining brutalism through pure material, visible handcraft, and the evolving beauty of time over flawless polish.
Origin
Born from a fascination with the raw, the industrial, and the tactile.
Atelier Martis is a Belgian design studio founded by Reinout Van der Straeten that specialises in unique furniture and jewellery designs. With a passion for materials and a keen aesthetic sense, the studio blends raw materials and textures, retaining a touch of the organic in every piece.
Reinout navigates the delicate balance between nature's offerings and human craftsmanship, finding a grounding harmony in this interplay.
This aesthetic delivers tranquility and contentment through emphasis on texture, repetition, and soberness. Focus on texture heightens tangible awareness, repetition brings comforting predictability, and soberness focuses attention on the essence. Together, these principles form the foundation of every design, each piece handcrafted to proudly display its artisanal heritage.
Reinout Van der Straeten
Founder, Atelier Martis
“What started as a DIY project with friends, hammering steel washers into rings, evolved into a sophisticated practice of working with materials most makers refuse.”
Reinout Van der Straeten
The Craft
A metal most goldsmiths avoid due to its stubborn hardness.
Because I never followed a traditional jewelry education, I approach the discipline through the lens of a designer, focusing on structure, mass, and feeling. This outsider perspective is precisely what defines the studio today. I consciously distance myself from the use of precious metals and stones. I prioritise the inherent properties and durability of a material over its perceived market value.
While gold and silver are soft and easily manipulated, I embrace the challenge of stainless steel. Its resilience makes it scratch-resistant and enduring. You can swim, sweat, and live in these pieces without fear of discoloration. When jewellery is valued solely by its weight in carats, the artistry of the maker is often neglected. Every piece is made by hand, one by one, no automated processes, just artisanal handwork and raw conviction.
Explore our materials →
Handcrafted
No automated processes, Ghent, Belgium
The Process
Every piece passes through the same hands.
Aesthetic
“Dark, refined brutalism, drawing heavy inspiration from Modernism and the raw edges of underground movements like Gothic and Grunge.”
Central to this vision is the importance of patina. For me, it is proof that materials often perceived as lifeless are, in fact, constantly in motion, evolving with their surroundings. It is a sign of life in everything around us.
I believe that the industrial can be a source of grounding. By balancing heavy textures and massive forms with extreme care, I create a tactile awareness that invites you to slow down and appreciate a raw honesty, a primal sensation that finds harmony in our daily environment.
It's a style best described as ‘New Stone Age’, refined brutalism with a strong focus on tangibility.
Presence
Selected Exhibitions
Currently at KRAK Design Gallery, Ghent
Enter the Work
“Steel does not apologise for its weight.
Neither do the people who wear it.”