Maarten Baas (1978) is a Dutch artist/ 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’s known for his rebellious, intellectual, theatrical and artistic style. Baas’ most renowned works are Smoke, Clay and Real Time, that 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 works are in private collections of Brad Pitt, Adam Lindemann and Michael Ovitz and permanent museum collections of MoMA (New York); MoMA (San Francisco); Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam); Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam); MAD museum (Paris); Victoria & Albert Museum (London); Die Neue Sammlung Museum (Munich); Victoria Museum (Melbourne); LACMA museum (Los Angeles) and others.

(photograph: Anton Corbijn)