Maarten Baas

Born in Arnsberg, Germany, Baas graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2002 and quickly established a unique position in the field as a pioneering artistic figure with a playful, contemplative approach. Alongside his independent practice, Baas has collaborated with leading international brands including Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Hermès, Dior, Isabel Marant, KLM, Schiphol Airport, Dom Ruinart and Berluti. Baas has achieved international acclaim for a practice that blends theatrical flair and conceptual rigour with a commitment to craftsmanship. Drawing on his graduate research into beauty and imperfection, the artist created his breakthrough work Smoke, in which he charred furniture and preserved it in resin – an experiment with nature and transformation. His Clay series embodies artistic vulnerability, with every piece handmade. Today, Baas is best known for his Real Time series, comprising 12-hour films of performances marking the passing of time, merging theatre, art, film, and design. Works by Baas are held in major private and public collections worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum Voorlinden, Rijksmuseum, Pinakothek der Moderne – Die Neue Sammlung, National Gallery of Victoria and Podo Museum. In 2009, Baas was named ‘Designer of the Year’ at Design Miami/ Basel. In 2012, The New York Times included both Smoke and Clay in its list of the ‘Top 25 Design Classics of the Future’. In 2016, he won the ArtPrize for Real Time: Sweepers Clock. Baas’ first monograph, Hide & Seek (2017, Lecturis BV), was published to coincide with a major solo exhibition at Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.