Emotion, function, wonder

Try confining Maarten De Ceulaer to a single design category, we dare you. He creates according to what he feels. Not only wanting to surprise his audience, but also himself. For Maarten, emotion is just as important as function in his designs. In Impulse Round & Square, he demonstrates both with full confidence.

I don’t stick to one formula or instantly recognizable style. Coming up with something new every time can be exhausting, but that’s exactly what keeps it fun and exciting for me.

Serendipity as a source of inspiration

When we ask Maarten about the inspiration for his designs, he doesn't have to think long: serendipity. "Many ideas come up while you're engaged with a specific issue or problem, and by experimenting with things playfully. At some point, things suddenly fall into place. It is important to be open to everything you encounter and to look at the world around you through a childlike lens, in a spontaneous way."

 

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Freedom with lighting

Maarten designs more than just lighting objects but is specifically fond of lighting because of the freedom it gives him. "I enjoy working on lighting because I find it a very artistic medium. With a chair or table, you have to take into account many aspects like ergonomics and stability, as it will be intensively used every day. A lighting object will also be used every day, but people won’t be touching and wearing it out all the time. I feel there’s more room for creativity and poetry."

 

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I saw how a LED strip created multiple shadows of my hand on the wall. I knew I wanted to make a lighting object that expressed this principle.

Designed by Maarten De Ceulaer