Two peacocks have recently adorned the cemetery of Noord-Drentse Een. An old beech tree has been transformed into a striking object, fitting in the wooded environment of the cemetery. The work was unveiled this afternoon.
A little more sanding, apply some oil and the artwork on the Eener cemetery is ready. Tree artist Erik van der Leur is happy with the result. “It took me 10 working days. First carefully remove the branches from the tree and then plan the work of art.”
So it is possible that in no time the large, characteristic beech in the cemetery on the Vennootsweg has made way for a work of art. “A lot of wood has come off,” says Tammo Oldenhuis of Local Interest One. “It was also necessary, because there was a break in the beech. You don’t want it to fall over and cause damage to graves.”
In the end it was the municipality of Noordenveld that commissioned the creation of the artwork. “We were asked if we had suggestions about what work could be done. For example, there were ideas for a tree of life, but the trunk was too thin for that. So this was ultimately chosen.”
The design was not chosen randomly, says tree artist Van der Leur. “The peacocks symbolize immortality, that fits nicely here.” The artist from Assen has already received a lot of feedback on his work. “Almost every hour that I was working on this, someone came by. I had a lot of appeal and people were very positive. That gives a great feeling.”
Oldenhuis, who lives opposite the cemetery, calls the statue ‘an asset’. “This is very beautiful for the cemetery and the village. The cemetery is very valuable for the village and this image fits in nicely. You can see that many villagers have already visited to take photos and videos. So it is alive.”
Watch the video about the artwork below: