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Various publications on his life and work portray Rein Draijer as a prominent artist who mastered three totally different disciplines and reached absolute heights in those different fields. In The Hague, where he had lived and worked since 1922, Draijer left behind many traces of his craftsmanship. It was here that he attended the evening course at the Royal Academy of Art.

Draijer's development is remarkably multifaceted. In addition, the influence he had as a teacher on subsequent generations of visual artists should not be underestimated. From 1937 to 1964, he taught at the same academy in The Hague where he himself had once completed his training.

Draijer's significance as a painter, sculptor and designer is reflected among other things in the art prizes awarded to him: the annual Jacob Maris Prize, The Hague, 1952 and the Jacob Hartog Prize, 1958, the annual prize of the artists' association Pulchri Studio. His participation in the internationally prominent Venice Biennale in 1962 also speaks for itself.

The sculpture 'Shells', dating from 1967, is typical of Draijer's sculpture. It reveals his affinity with plant and animal forms. The sculptor has considerably restrained his need to abstract or stylise natural forms. In other sculptures, he deviates further from concrete observations than is the case here. The soft curves of the shells and the possibility of glancing into their interiors invite physical contact. The need to touch them is almost uncontrollable.