The Final Chord: exhibition of a long career in ceramics
Wim Borst (born in Gouda, the Netherlands, in 1946) began his career in ceramics in 1974 and that career is now, in 2025, completed. His oeuvre consists of spatial ceramic forms of different degrees of complexity, inspired by architecture. In his work Wim Borst strives for a perfect execution. The limited size of the work makes it particularly suited for a home setting.
From the start, Wim Borst’s work was noticed and appreciated. In 1978 he already exhibited in Galerie Kapelhuis in Amersfoort, at the time the leading gallery for contemporary applied arts. Since then his work has been shown at many exhibitions and added to the collections of various museum collections. In 1987 his work was first exhibited at Galerie Terra Delft, which commenced the collaboration between Terra and Wim Borst – a very pleasant collaboration! In 2002, Galerie Terra Delft invited Wim Borst to participate in the Dutch exhibition at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, and in 2009 Wim Borst had his first solo exhibition in Delft.
His minimalist structures, based on geometric forms, speak an unambiguous language. The use of color is always limited and used monochromatically, which allows the form to play the most important role in his design. The work is in line with the Dutch movement in contemporary art which includes Jan Schoonhoven and Ad Dekkers. An important moment in Wim’s career was his 1992 retrospective exposition in the Ceramics Museum Het Princessehof in Leeuwaarden, which provided the impetus for many collectors to purchase his work, including J.W.N. van Achterbergh, and famous galleries began to show interest. Important too were the work period in the European Ceramic Work Centre (E.K.W.C.) in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 1998 and an artist-in-residence period via Terra Delft in the International Ceramic Institute Sanbao Jingdezhen in China in 2016. These experiences brought new impetus and insight to his work. Following his stay in China, Wim began to work in porcelain.
In this exhibition, The Final Chord, Terra shows work that Wim has made through the years. It is not a comprehensive retrospective, but gives a good impression of how his development has progressed, and how throughout his entire working life Wim has continued to search for new perspectives and relevant additions. This man is a bubbling cauldron full of ideas which he has executed in his work throughout his life, striving for perfection, and passing them on to the innumerable students he has guided.
Wim Borst has now stopped. His studio is cleaned out; the kilns and materials have been distributed. The Terra Teams is happy and honored to have the opportunity to display his life in the great variety of works that will be shown in the exhibition The Final Chord.
