Maarten Baas (1978) is a Dutch designer who graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2002. His studio is based in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL).
Baas is considered one of the most influential artist-designers of the early twenty-first century. His works straddle boundaries between art and design. He occupies a unique position in the field, embodying conceptual art, craftsmanship, installation, public space and performance into his oeuvre. He is known for his rebellious, intellectual, theatrical and artistic style. Baas’ most renowned works are Smoke, Clay and Real Time, which gave him instant worldwide recognition. In 2009, he was named ‘Designer of the Year’ at Design Basel/ Miami. In 2012, the New York Times listed both Smoke and Clay in its ‘Top 25 Design Classics of the Future’. In 2016, Baas won the ArtPrize for his Real Time Sweepers clock.
His work is found in numerous private and major museum collections, such as MoMA New York, Victoria & Albert Museum London, Les Arts Décoratifs Paris, San Francisco MoMA and Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Furthermore, he has worked for exclusive brands like Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Hermès, Dior, Isabelle Marant, KLM and Schiphol Airport, Dom Ruinart and Berluti.
In 2017, his first monograph was published, titled ‘Hide & Seek’, coinciding with a major museum solo show at the Groninger Museum (NL), that still travels to museums worldwide.
Museum References
Vitra Design Museum | Weil am Rhein, Germany. The Museum of Fine Arts | Houston, USA. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam | Netherlands. Collection Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean | Mudam Luxembourg –Cafesjian Center for the Arts | Yerevan, Armenia. Graphic Design Museum | Breda, Netherlands. Centre National des Arts Plastiques | Paris, France. Philadelphia Museum of Art | Philadelphia, USA. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands. Centraal Museum | Utrecht, Netherlands. Die Neue Sammlung / Pinakothek der Moderne | München, Germany. Design Museum | London, UK. Groninger Museum | Groningen, Netherlands. Museum of Modern Art | New York, USA. Victoria & Albert Museum | London, UK.
Publications:
Maarten Baas ed., Hide & Seek, Eindhoven: Lecturis, 2017
Angelika Nollert ed., MAARTEN BAAS – NEW TIMES, Die Neue Sammlung, Pinakothek der Moderne, Müchen, Köln: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, 2021
Clients (selection)
Louis Vuitton, Dom Ruinart, Berluti, Gramercy Park Hotel, Christian Dior, Swarovski, Hermès, KLM, Isabel Marant, Valerie_Objects, VIP Lounge Schiphol Airport, G-Star Raw and various commissions for private collectors.
