About Frank van den Ham

Frank van den Ham in 1952, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.In the field of art and glass he is an autodidact, in his own words: 'this means nothing more than that I got my knowledge and skills from many sources instead of from attending one or more institutions.' Van den Ham is best described as an artist that makes different worlds recognisable and connects them in his glasswork.
His fascination for the Far East and Africa and his purely Dutch roots, make him a traveller between two worlds.  Always in search of the additional, in search of the complimentary, always in search of home.
An always present homesickness for "there" gives his work a tension and at the same time a warmth that inevitably touches the onlooker. Colourful, poetic compositions in glass, sometimes combined with other materials like wood, fabric and silver, give an often-surprising insight into his realm of thought and dreams. 
He uses the technique of kiln-forming glass, also called fusing. A technique that was used thousands of years ago but was forgotten and only in the 1950's re-discovered. Van den Ham has played an important role in ensuring that this technique, that allows an exact use of colour, pattern and form, has found its place back in the middle or heart of the other familiar glass techniques. Van den Ham is now in a position of authority in his chosen field. He is an internationally respected artist with an impressive biography. His objects are exhibited all over the world and can be found in many international museum collections.  His works demonstrate uniqueness in an exuberant range of different objects.  Stories about different worlds that, at least what Van den Ham dreams of, actually are one but one in which he is always looking for his home. 
From his glass bridge between two worlds he tries to connect, to understand and to explain.