Midcentury wooden sideboard by J. Batenburg and E. Souply for MI Belgium 1960s.

This sideboard is as unique as its background. A collaboration between two belgian artists, each exceptional in their own field. Jean batenburg and emiel souply were both living and working in the brussels area. Jean batenburg was a figurative painter, etcher and watercolorist. In addition to these plastic arts, he was also active as an interior architect and designer of furniture. Together with his wife, he had his own business with design furniture in kortenberg for many years called yme, which changed into mi later on. Batenburg designed this sideboard in the 1960s, the door handle is made by the hand of various artist emiel souply. Émile souply was a silversmith by training, and his interests in the field of the visual arts were diverse. Through his career, souply’s output moved between silversmithing, designer furniture, jewelry, sculpture, architecture and teaching. He made impressive sculptures that were seen in open spaces and challenged himself in shape, color and technique. The creation of a coffee table for his own use was the start of his career as a furniture designer. He entered this work in the signe d’or competition, whose judges presented him with the furniture and industrial design award in 1960. This period he started working together with e.m.y. Of jean batenburg in kortenberg, which manufactured his first pieces of furniture. In 1962, émile souply co-founded the groupe design with j.-p. Emonds-alt, a. De vinck, l. Kroll and l. Van malderen.

Ref. : BXHVHFFW