René Schaefer, Leading Mosaicist

René was born in 1967 in Cologne, Germany.

He has been fascinated by art and design from an early age. His love of drawing led him to study at the Victorian College of the Arts, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1990, majoring in Painting.

Keen to expand his artistic horizons beyond traditionally gallery-based works, René developed an interest in public art and particularly in mosaics, after working on the highly successful Bellair Street Mosaic project with Helen Bodycomb in 1996. Through a range of major public art and private mosaic commissions since 1996 he has continued to refine his skills in the design, construction and installation of glass and ceramic mosaics. René is an integral part of the Helen Bodycomb Mosaics team as Leading Mosaicist.

René's particular interest lies in the creative integration of mosaic artworks with architectural spaces, and is informed by his appreciation of Central Asian and Middle Eastern building design and Islamic art.