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Maarten De Ceulaer (1983) was born in Belgium, and started his education in design at the Sint-Lukas Hogeschool in Brussels. Attracted by conceptual and narrative design, he continued his studies at the Design Academy Eindhoven. A strong passion for travelling inspired his graduation project ‘A Pile of Suitcases’, which was immediately picked up by the renowned Milanese gallery Nilufar, that asked him to design an entire collection on the concept. Maarten caught international attention for the highly evocative, poetic and playful touch he gives his objects.
He uses his work to tell stories, to stir people’s emotions, to tickle their imagination or to make them wonder. A project can result from an observation of society, a reaction on something that crosses his path, but is mostly the expression of a very personal thought or feeling he wants to communicate. He continuously explores new materials and investigates in and plays with production techniques and crafts. The emotional and narrative aspect of objects is equally important for him as the functional.
Mutation Series
The pieces in this series look like they weren’t made by hands, but have grown to their present form organically. They might be the result of a mutation in cells, or the result of a chemical or nuclear reaction. Perhaps it’s a virus or bacteria that has grown dramatically out of scale. The Mutation pieces make you look at furniture in a different way. Maybe one day we would be able to grow a piece of furniture like we breed or clone an animal, and manipulate it’s shape like a bonsai tree.
The Leather Collection was inspired by the designer’s great passion for travelling and exploring the world. Towers and asymmetric compositions are made of suitcases and briefcases in precious leathers created by Maarten De Ceulaer, in a close collaboration with one of the most renowned leather artisans in Belgium, Ralph Baggaley. The craftsmanship and detailing is simply sublime and calls for instant admiration. These pieces, though colourful and playful, evoke luxurious and sophisticated atmospheres, but at the same time they carry the dynamic vibe of modern nomads, that travel trough cities and continents without restrictions or boundaries.
Transformations
Following the Design Miami/ Basel edition in June with Craftica by FormaFantasma, Fendi has invited Belgian designer Maarten de Ceulaer to develop for the December 2012 program a project that responds to its visual identity and its legacy of Modernist-inspired patterns and emblems. Maarten was selected for this project because he has demonstrated a remarkable affinity for crafting sophisticated furniture and objects imbued with lyrical, whimsical narrative.
The designer found particular inspiration in Fendi’s signature Pequin motif, creating “Transformations” in celebration of Fendi’s long heritage of abstract rectilinear and geometric imagery.
Mutation Series – chairs with legs
The pieces in this series look like they weren’t made by hands, but have grown to their present form organically. They might be the result of a mutation in cells, or the result of a chemical or nuclear reaction. Perhaps it’s a virus or bacteria that has grown dramatically out of scale. The Mutation pieces make you look at furniture in a different way. Maybe one day we would be able to grow a piece of furniture like we breed or clone an animal, and manipulate it’s shape like a bonsai tree.
via maartendeceulaer.com