Acrobat (1961) Chris Elffers
Since 1961, there is a sculpture by artist Chris Elffers on the schoolyard of St. Stephanus primary school on Asserweg and Donkersingel in Schiebroek. A small figure sits on a square base with the arms and legs folded over the head. Elffers made this Acrobat of baked chamotte. The work has an organic stylized form and was made in the percentage scheme when the school was built. Due to the demolition of the school building, the artwork was removed in early 2023 and placed in the depot.
Chris Elffers (Zandvoort, 1926 – Krimpen aan den IJssel, 2018) studied sculpture at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam with professors Mari Andriessen and Piet Esser. As a sculptor he contributed part-time to the restoration of the Laurenskerk. In 1958 he was given a studio on the Nesserdijk, where sculptor Huib Noorlander also had his workshop. Elffers made various sculptures for the public space in Rotterdam. He lived for years in Kralingen and Krimpen aan den IJssel, where he died in 2018.