ATELIER DELAFORTRIE - KUNSTRESTAURIERUNG IN WIEN
BIOGRAPHY
Hi, I’m Silke — a passionate restorer and proud founder of Atelier Delafortrie.
I was born in Belgium and, after finishing high school, I began studying Art History. It was during these studies that I first became fascinated by the idea of restoration. My search eventually brought me to Vienna, Austria.
To prepare for the admissions exam at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Akademie der bildenden Künste), I was fortunate to begin my training in a restoration studio where three restorers worked side by side, each with their own specialization. It was there that I truly discovered my love for the craft. Inspired, I went on to study Conservation and Restoration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
This intensive program combined art history, science, and restoration techniques — and I pursued it alongside hands-on work as a restorer. At first, in the very atelier where my journey began, and later as a freelancer. Over the years, I had the opportunity to work on projects for museums such as Schönbrunn Palace and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, as well as for private clients.
Life took some unexpected turns, and I eventually returned to Belgium. During this five-year intermezzo, I founded Atelier Delafortrie in Leuven. There, I worked mainly in the private sector, but also for institutions such as the beautiful Park Abbey (Abdij van Park) in Heverlee.
Alongside art restoration, I began restoring furniture — especially chairs. I learned the craft by collaborating with an experienced furniture restorer and soon developed a particular interest in pieces with woven seats. Danish cord weaving, cane webbing (Wiener Geflecht), and even upholstered furniture gradually became a second passion, and today they are an integral part of my daily work in the atelier.
Now, Atelier Delafortrie has returned to Vienna — the place where my passion for restoration first began — and where I am once again doing what I love. I look forward to work on your pieces!
