TYPE I is a personal art project by Pieter Bas Bouwman, who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus since the age of seven. This project transforms the everyday reality of living with diabetes into a compelling visual experience. 


The theme of these works revolves around the constant balance between control and temptation, two forces that play a central role in life with diabetes. 

The work features boxes, each filled with insulin needles arranged in patterns that guide the viewer's gaze. This design symbolizes the artist's struggle to find balance between control and temptation, with the needles representing the tension between discipline and spontaneity. The insulin needles are meticulously placed by hand in a pattern on a wooden surface, a process that requires patience and precision, much like daily life with diabetes. The rhythm and pattern in which they are arranged visually represent the structure and regularity that the artist strives for each day. The repetition in his work invites reflection on the daily routines that we all follow, whether or not we have diabetes.
 

Each piece is covered with a plexiglass box, symbolizing temptation—the temptation that always lurks, tempting one to abandon discipline and give in to the urge to color outside the lines.

 

Various works in different sizes and colors available.