Baas Maarten

Baas Maarten

Baas grew up in Burgh-Haamstede. He graduated from high school and began studying at the Eindhoven Design Academy in 1996. In 2000, he studied for several months at Politecnico di Milano. In June 2002, he graduated from the Design Academy with series of burnt furniture called “Smoke”. His works have been nominated for the domestic market “René Smeets-award” and also for the “Melkweg-Award”. They lead to an invitation by IKEA to do a one-week workshop in France and got Baas selected for the improvised exhibition awarded the Academy of Design in Tokyo. His design of smoke was adopted in the collection of Moooi label Dutch, by Marcel Wanders. Smoke furniture was bought by museums and collectors like Lidewij Edelkoort and Philippe Starck. In May 2004, a speechmaking solo exhibition was inaugurated in New York gallery maker Murray Murray. Among others, there were charcoaled classic designs of Gaudi, Eames, Rietveld, Sottsass and the Campana brothers. For the new collection of the Groningen Museum, Maarten worked on some furniture from the museum’s old collection. In 2005, he also began working with the Bas den Herder, who became responsible for the production of all parts. The founding of the Baas & Herder den studio made it possible to produce unique pieces of Maartens on a larger scale, but also all handmade works in Holland. Missions came from hotels, restaurants, galleries and museums all around the world. In 2005, Martin collaborated with Ian Schrager’s design team, for the new Gramercy Park Hotel. Maarten Baas provided smoke furniture in every room and a few pieces of clay and a smoke billiards for the lobby. All the pieces were handmade in Baas studio & Herder’s den. In 2009, Martin was named Designer of the Year by Design Miami.