Now it is owned and managed by Mrs Marcelle Majerus-Nizet. After sampling a few little nibbles, we were divided into two groups : the first went to the actual workshop while my own group went to the exhibition rooms guided by Mrs Majerus herself. She gave us a colourful account of the back-straining work to create beautiful stained glass works, some done by her husband, others brought from sites that were being demolished or renovated or bought under interesting circumstances. There were amusing anecdotes which made every stained-glass tableau come to life and Mrs Majerus was happy to go down memory lane.

The second part of our visit to the workshop showed us the amount of work that was involved in creating even the smallest of stained glass. We got all the information from Saskia Lupini (and her assistant) on where the glass came from, how it was made, the different joining methods used (lead cane, copper foil and even concrete) and other techniques. From the beginning, when a simple drawing is made, to the final resulting artwork it is amazingly time-consuming but very rewarding to the artist.

Our visit finished with more nibbles and drinks, and we could then fully appreciate the beautiful works we were privileged to see.

Many thanks to Brigitte Haus and her team for this very interesting event. I didn’t know about the existence of this wonderful studio, but…that’s what Brussels is all about !

One of the artists, Youri Debongnie, very kindly explained the structure of the ASBL and Foundation :

Within the Fondation pour Vitrail Majerus-Nizet, Mrs Majerus must preserve her husband’s heritage, his works and his studio and promote stained glass in general. The ASBL Centre belge du Vitrail P. Majerus organises lessons, lectures and exhibitions in conjunction with the Fondation. The two teachers, Saskia Lupini and Vincent Davos, have extensive experience and competence in their field. Youri Debongnie himself has also just opened up his own workshop specialising in creating and restoring stained glass.

Mrs Majerus receives many requests for information and lessons, which she transfers to the competent members of the Studio. Youri has over 40 years’ experience and gives classes in lead cane joining. Saskia concentrates more on Tiffany glass and painting on glass, as she is very knowledgeable about the history of both.

For more information, please see their colourful website : https://majerus-vitrail.be/evenements/

Karen Englander
EFTA/AELE Group