Throughout her career, Marleen Kaptein has pursued her passion, exploring contemporary materials and questioning the traditional way they’re used in design and manufacturing.

This began with her early work at the Design Academy Eindhoven, where she graduated in 1997, and has developed ever since. It was via Label/Breed in 2015, that Kaptein became an embedded artist at the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), a research institute that develops future technologies and materials for aviation and space travel. Here, she works closely with aerospace engineers, whose innovation is derived from rigid and proven calculations, simulations and testing. Kaptein brings her creative experience, unconventional views, and intuition to this highly technical world. The meeting of these two different worlds has resulted in new shapes and solutions, which can be seen in a number of her signature works.

Art Pioneer

Marleen Kaptein broke new ground as the first person to utilise the innovative fibre placement robot for furniture design. The resulting ‘Fiber Placement Chair’ was purchased in 2016 by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam for their permanent collection. The ‘Recycled Carbon Chair’ was also purchased by the Vitra Museum (Weil am Rhein), and Kaptein’s ‘Fiber Placement Lights’ can be seen in the Textile Museum Tilburg.

The Parallax series is the meeting of dedicated craftsmanship, the wonder of nature, and state-of-the-art aerospace materials.

Each piece exists to bring a world of wonder to the rooms and spaces they inhabit. The collection captures the feeling of starlings in murmuration. As they twist and turn through the sky in unison, each bird seems connected, reacting as one at a moment’s notice. That magical movement can be seen in the complex dance of lines and shapes suspended in each piece. Ever-changing. Wonderfully unique. A living pattern.

The Parallax series consists of six different chandeliers and pendant lights. Suspended in the air, the chandeliers’ carbon lines lead the design, creating a parallax that reveals something new to the viewer from every angle. The art is designed to inspire as well as illuminate, offering infinite combinations of light and shadow. Each piece is created specifically for the client’s needs and can be custom made for particular spaces.