Steps away from the bustling Grand Sablon, a neo-Flemish house built in 1888 beckons. Its facade, adorned with a turret and a sculpted balcony, is a distinctive landmark. This former lawyer's office, with its imposing chimneys, now houses Jonathan F. Kugel's Cabinet de Curiosités Contemporain. Here, time and style playfully interweave through a program of themed exhibitions.
The artists showcased at the Cabinet embody a unique blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary vision. Their works share space with a curated selection of objects spanning centuries. From European paintings and artworks of the 17th to 19th centuries, chosen for their authenticity, aesthetics, and occasional touch of the peculiar, a conversation unfolds.
"For me," explains Kugel, "the qualities I seek in a contemporary piece are no different from those I value in an antique: virtuosity, craftsmanship, historical significance, and a distinct artistic vision. Ultimately, an object should evoke emotions – beauty, intrigue, or a touch of the grotesque – while simultaneously stimulating the intellect through its scientific or technical ingenuity."
Jonathan F. Kugel
Cabinet de Curiosités Contemporain
Rue Watteeu 16 – 1000, Bruxelles, Belgium
OPEN: Thursday to Saturday, 11am – 6pm
& by appointment.
For Jonathan F. Kugel, art and antiques are a family affair first, passion and curiosity second.
Seventh generation of art dealers – his father and uncle are still active in the sumptuous Galerie Kugel in Paris – Jonathan was mainly trained in the trade in London, with specialists in European Renaissance objects. But in the end, it was in Sablon, 4 years ago, that Jonathan F. Kugel decided to set up his own gallery.
A lover of beautiful objects, he has focused his gallery on contemporary artists (painters, ceramists, glassmakers) who put technical know-how, a certain virtuosity and an innovative aesthetic research at the heart of their practice. In parallel, the gallery exhibits works from all periods, favoring European paintings and objects of art from the 17th to the 19th centuries, chosen for their authenticity, their aesthetic quality or their singularity.
"I specialize in contemporary ceramics, an incredibly rich medium where the artist expresses themselves with their own mark, mastering a technique while leaving room for alchemy during the firing process, where all bets can sometimes be off."
His star artist is Caroline Smit, who has been included in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London since 2018. A true virtuoso of ceramics, she draws inspiration from mythology and other popular stories. "Her work transcends the very idea of beauty through a research on contrasts: the ugly but adorable, the frightening but fragile..." James B. Webster is, for his part, "the house artist" with his workshop under the gallery itself! Not to mention the South African Vivian van Blerk and his porcelain work as curious as it is delicate.
TRENDS, BE, 2018.
10 Magazine, U.K, 2013.
ToWN AND CoUNTRY, U.K, 2015.
10 Week, U.K, 2014.
MAD, LE SoIR, BE, 2018.
VANITY FAIR, FR, 2015.
