Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 43
Occupation: Artist.
Instagram: @pietermaes_
Hometown: Antwerp.
Studio location: Paris.
Describe what you make: I design collections and limited editions for furniture brands and design galleries. My work is sculptural and tactile, drawing mainly inspiration from archeology and science fiction.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: In 2018, I designed a stool that marked a significant shift in my design approach. Its importance is only personal. After a decade of creating minimal and conventionally classical furniture, I felt increasingly dissatisfied. This led to a personal crisis and a year of introspection. Eventually, I turned to my doodles and created the Monolog stool as a deeply personal project, marking a turning point in my career from catering to market demands to crafting pieces that resonate with me personally. The seat is monolithic, sculptural, and deliberately favors expression over practicality. It was also created without consideration for production methods. In short, it was counter to everything I was taught. Despite initially feeling like I was “giving up,” it was eventually picked up by Ligne Roset.
Describe the problem your work solves: It scratches my itch.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m wrapping up some last-minute details for Salone del Mobile. I’m also working on creating new marble pieces for a show at Les Ateliers Courbet in 2025. I’ve also started a collaboration with Ormond Editions, a Swiss Edition House.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I have a show at Les Ateliers Courbet in New York called “Clay.” It features a collection of five distinct pieces, consisting of three bronzes and two upholstered pieces. The show’s title threads through all exhibited works. In the case of the bronze pieces, they originated as hand-sculpted forms in local Greek clay before being casted into bronze. The upholstered pieces, while not hand-sculpted like their bronze counterparts, carry a clay or dough-like quality. It’s as if the fabric and leather are allowed to be itself, mirroring the natural form of clay or the unaltered state of dough.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: My skateboard. I stopped skating years ago, but now I use it as a footrest under my desk.
What you do when you’re not working: You’ll probably find me curled up in the sofa watching archaeology documentaries on YouTube.
Sources of creative envy: I don’t feel envy towards specific creatives, but I do admire the anonymous primal artists whose works are displayed in the ethnographical wings of museums. Their creations lack personal acclaim yet exhibit a raw and timeless creativity. It’s intriguing to see how these artists from different times and cultures have left artifacts that still captivate and inspire. I value the anonymity that allows their art to speak independently, transcending individual recognition and connecting with a collective human experience.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Advertising.
Concrete or marble? Yes.
High-rise or townhouse? Beach house with a view of the Mediterranean.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Light when awake, dark when sleepy.
