Maarten Baas
Encyclopedia
Maarten Baas is a Dutch designer.
From 1979 Baas grew up in Burgh-Haamstede
and Hemmen
in the southwest and centre part of the Netherlands
. Graduated from highschool he started to study at Design Academy Eindhoven
in 1996. Still in school his first design, candleholder “Knuckle”, was taken in production bij Pol’s Potten. He also sold the first unique-piece of the now well known “Hey, chair, Be A Bookshelf”-furniture to Stef Bakker (co-founder of Orange Babies). In 2000 he studied for several months at the Politecnico di Milano.
In June 2002 he graduated at the Design Academy
a series of burned furniture called "Smoke". His works were nominated for the internal "René Smeets-award" and also for the "Melkweg-award". They lead to an invitation by IKEA
to do a week workshop in France and got Baas selected for the rewarded improvisationexposition of the Design Academy in Tokyo.
His design Smoke was adopted in the collection of Dutch label MOOOI, of Marcel Wanders
. Thanks to successful presentations in Milan, London and Paris Smoke became known worldwide. Smoke furniture was bought by museums and collectors such as Lidewij Edelkoort and Philippe Starck
.
The Smoke chandelier was part of the exhibition "Brilliant" of the Victoria & Albert museum
in London.
In May 2004 a speechmaking solo-exhibition was opened with New York gallerist Murray Moss
. "Where There’s Smoke" showed 25 pieces of furniture, all burned and finished of with transparent epoxy. Amongst others there were charcoaled classical designs of Gaudi, Eames, Rietveld
, Sottsass
and the Campana Brothers
.
For the new collection of the Groninger Museum
, Maarten worked on some furniture from the old collection of the museum. These were shown during the exhibition "Nocturnal Emissions" and purchased by the museum.
Also the Dutch Stedelijk Museum
in Amsterdam exhibited 2 of his Smoke-pieces in 2005 in an exhibition about pieces to be purchased by the Stedelijk Museum.
His pieces are all unique and handmade, though produced in series, mostly signed and numbered by Maarten Baas. Maarten is searching for the boundaries of design, without leaning on the regular "do's and don'ts". This way of working became even more clear at the Salone del Mobile in Milan 2005, where he showed his new pieces. "Treasure", "Hey, chair, be a bookshelf!" and "Flatpack Furniture" became a great success.
In 2005 he also started his collaboration with Bas den Herder, who became responsible for the production of all pieces. The foundation of studio Baas & den Herder made it possible to produce Maartens unique pieces on a larger scale, but yet all hand made in Holland. Assignments came from hotels, restaurants, galleries and museums all over the world.
At the Salone del Mobile in 2006 Maarten launched Clay Furniture, which was considered to be the absolute successor of Smoke and one of the most surprising projects of the fair.
Moss presented this collection during the ICFF in New York, and Cibone made a solo exhibition "Clay & Smoke".
In 2005 Maarten collaborated with the design team of Ian Schrager
, for the new Gramercy Park Hotel. Maarten Baas supplied Smoke furniture for each room and some Clay pieces and a Smoke billiard for the lobby. All pieces were hand made in studio Baas&den Herder. In August 2006 the Gramercy Park Hotel opened.
In Milan, in April 2009 Maarten showed Real Time, a series of videos depicting a real time clock, with actors moving the hands of the clock as time passes by.
In 2009 Maarten was named Designer of the Year by Design Miami. During the design fair in Miami, he presented a new piece, commissioned by Design Miami, named The Shell.
Maarten Baas currently lives and works in 's-Hertogenbosch
From 1979 Baas grew up in Burgh-Haamstede
Haamstede
Haamstede is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland.The statistical area "Haamstede", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2460....
and Hemmen
Hemmen
Hemmen is a small village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Overbetuwe, 1 km northwest of Zetten.Hemmen was a separate municipality until 1955, when it was merged with Valburg....
in the southwest and centre part of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Graduated from highschool he started to study at Design Academy Eindhoven
Design Academy
Design Academy Eindhoven is a school for industrial design in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The work of its faculty and alumni have brought it wide recognition, it has been called the "best design academy in the world." -History:...
in 1996. Still in school his first design, candleholder “Knuckle”, was taken in production bij Pol’s Potten. He also sold the first unique-piece of the now well known “Hey, chair, Be A Bookshelf”-furniture to Stef Bakker (co-founder of Orange Babies). In 2000 he studied for several months at the Politecnico di Milano.
In June 2002 he graduated at the Design Academy
Design Academy
Design Academy Eindhoven is a school for industrial design in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The work of its faculty and alumni have brought it wide recognition, it has been called the "best design academy in the world." -History:...
a series of burned furniture called "Smoke". His works were nominated for the internal "René Smeets-award" and also for the "Melkweg-award". They lead to an invitation by IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
to do a week workshop in France and got Baas selected for the rewarded improvisationexposition of the Design Academy in Tokyo.
His design Smoke was adopted in the collection of Dutch label MOOOI, of Marcel Wanders
Marcel Wanders
Marcel Wanders is a Dutch product and interior designer, who drew international recognition for his Knotted Chair produced by Droog in 1996.- Life :...
. Thanks to successful presentations in Milan, London and Paris Smoke became known worldwide. Smoke furniture was bought by museums and collectors such as Lidewij Edelkoort and Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck
Philippe Patrick Starck is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style...
.
The Smoke chandelier was part of the exhibition "Brilliant" of the Victoria & Albert museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London.
In May 2004 a speechmaking solo-exhibition was opened with New York gallerist Murray Moss
Murray Moss
Murray Moss is an American design entrepreneur and founder of the design art company Moss.He has been called "America's most closely watched purveyor of industrial design" , while his store has been called "the best design store in the world."Moss began his career as a professional actor in the...
. "Where There’s Smoke" showed 25 pieces of furniture, all burned and finished of with transparent epoxy. Amongst others there were charcoaled classical designs of Gaudi, Eames, Rietveld
Gerrit Rietveld
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld was a Dutch furniture designer and architect. One of the principal members of the Dutch artistic movement called De Stijl, Rietveld is famous for his Red and Blue Chair and for the Rietveld Schröder House, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-Biography:Rietveld was born in...
, Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass was an Italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. His body of designs included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting and office machine design.-Early career:...
and the Campana Brothers
Campana brothers
The Campana Brothers are noted Brazilian designers.In 1983, the two brothers teamed up to develop furniture made by ordinary material - including waste products such as cardboard, rope, fabric and wood scraps, plastic tubes, aluminum wire...
.
For the new collection of the Groninger Museum
Groninger Museum
The Groninger Museum is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Groningen, Netherlands.-Background:Although not as well known as other Dutch institutions of fine art, the Groninger Museum was founded in 1894...
, Maarten worked on some furniture from the old collection of the museum. These were shown during the exhibition "Nocturnal Emissions" and purchased by the museum.
Also the Dutch Stedelijk Museum
Stedelijk Museum
Founded in 1874, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is a museum for classic modern and contemporary art in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It has been housed on the Paulus Potterstraat, next to Museum Square Museumplein and to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw, in Amsterdam Zuid...
in Amsterdam exhibited 2 of his Smoke-pieces in 2005 in an exhibition about pieces to be purchased by the Stedelijk Museum.
His pieces are all unique and handmade, though produced in series, mostly signed and numbered by Maarten Baas. Maarten is searching for the boundaries of design, without leaning on the regular "do's and don'ts". This way of working became even more clear at the Salone del Mobile in Milan 2005, where he showed his new pieces. "Treasure", "Hey, chair, be a bookshelf!" and "Flatpack Furniture" became a great success.
In 2005 he also started his collaboration with Bas den Herder, who became responsible for the production of all pieces. The foundation of studio Baas & den Herder made it possible to produce Maartens unique pieces on a larger scale, but yet all hand made in Holland. Assignments came from hotels, restaurants, galleries and museums all over the world.
At the Salone del Mobile in 2006 Maarten launched Clay Furniture, which was considered to be the absolute successor of Smoke and one of the most surprising projects of the fair.
Moss presented this collection during the ICFF in New York, and Cibone made a solo exhibition "Clay & Smoke".
In 2005 Maarten collaborated with the design team of Ian Schrager
Ian Schrager
Ian Schrager is an American hotelier and real estate developer. Often associated with co-creating of the Boutique Hotel genre. Originally, he gained fame as co-owner and co-founder of Studio 54.-Early years:...
, for the new Gramercy Park Hotel. Maarten Baas supplied Smoke furniture for each room and some Clay pieces and a Smoke billiard for the lobby. All pieces were hand made in studio Baas&den Herder. In August 2006 the Gramercy Park Hotel opened.
In Milan, in April 2009 Maarten showed Real Time, a series of videos depicting a real time clock, with actors moving the hands of the clock as time passes by.
In 2009 Maarten was named Designer of the Year by Design Miami. During the design fair in Miami, he presented a new piece, commissioned by Design Miami, named The Shell.
Maarten Baas currently lives and works in 's-Hertogenbosch