Craftsmanship
Geijselaers remembers how he started learning his trade at Artifort in 1965, ‘I was never really ‘academic’ when I was a child. The non-academic children just got a job when they left school. Someone in the village worked in the wood department at Artifort. He told my parents to go and have a look there. That's how I started my apprenticeship at Artifort at the age of fourteen. I had to provide the upholsterers with all their materials, learn everything about the fabrics and destroy the models with upholstery that did not make the grade. I started with the easy work; the backs of the sofas. After two years, I had to take an exam in which I had to upholster three armchairs by myself. As the years passed by, I was given more difficult tasks.’
Geijselaers is Artifort's Ribbon® specialist. What is it about this chair that makes it so special?
Geijselaers explains: ‘The Ribbon® is a real challenge because of the iron body. The rubber, webbing and the canvas are glued to the body; there is no staple to be seen on this chair. This is a painstaking job because the material is not allowed to crease. The back now has a zip, but it used to be sewn closed by hand.’ The fabric from Momentum is his favourite fabric for the Ribbon®. ‘I also work very well with the Artifort Selecte fabric.’ Geijselaers continues. ‘This fabric was developed in collaboration with Kvadrat and it has a good stretch. A good stretch is essential when trying to upholster rounded shapes.’