Ster Borgman (they/them) describes themself as an alchemist and explores natural processes, their stories, and their sense of wonder. Ster extracts pigment from plants, melts sand into glass, and transforms rust into dripping red forms. In Ster’s work, chemistry and imagination come together. Ster is interested in the space where science almost becomes magic: where we do not fully understand what is happening, but can still observe and experience it. During walks, Ster collects materials to turn into pigments and experiments with old metals, crushed stones, and plant-based dyes. Sometimes the work takes on a sensual, bodily quality in the way colour and material relate to the human body.

Ster sees nature as queer: boundless, fluid, and constantly changing. Think of dripping glass, leaking rust, and the intense colours of flowers and plants. Through this practice, Ster questions fixed categories such as gender or living/non-living. At VHDG, Ster brings together ceramics and glass with social engagement. In this trajectory, Ster connects Frisian traditions and local crafts with contemporary material research and experimentation. In this way, past and future come together naturally.