Born in The Hague, now lives and works in Rotterdam, the Czech Republic and China. In addition to his ceramic sculptures, Van Bentem makes exciting glass objects, mostly in large dimensions. As an artist he is an omnivore, an obsessive mixer of styles. He finds inspiration in art history and comic strips and the world of contemporary communication. He mixes all these ingredients into world of illustrative sensuality that is wholly his own. His monumental sculptures tell a story of their own, with roots in art-historical values. His idiom is recognisable - exciting colours, cheeky decorative elements and references to subcultures.
