Maarten Baas is interested in the theatrical possibilities of design. The Dutch designer is widely considered to be one of the most exciting and influential designers working today, embracing a practice that is unconventional, rebellious and playful.
He has established an independent position in the Art & Design field with a multidisciplinary body of work including limited edition, production design, architecture, interior design, public art, sculpture, prints, film, theater sets and performance.
Baas’s immediate international recognition arrived with Smoke (2002), his graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Clay (2006) and Real Time (2009) consolidated his name and position as an artist making functional objects, granting him the title of ‘Designer of the Year’ at Design Basel/ Miami. Bass has exhibited and produced widely since then.
His provocative use of materials and highly skilled craftsmanship challenges the conventional notions of functionality. With a generous dose of deception and humor, his work is often an irreverent, surprising operation with messages aimed at both commissioner and viewer.
His work is found in numerous private and major museum collections, including the MOMA New York, Victoria & Albert Museum London, Les Arts Décoratifs Paris, MOMA SF, Het Stedelijk , Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Baas also collaborates with clients such as KLM, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Ruinart, Berluti, Hermès, Isabelle Marant, Swarovski.
Baas studio and workshop are located in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL), where, with his team, he crafts mischievous and unexpected worlds.