Bringing a creative idea to a constructive result that can be produced or realised, whether a product or project, is what I do best I believe.
First by making furniture by hand and later by designing and externally producing furniture and interior products, I enhanced my knowledge of materials and production processes.
A classic industrial designer regarding product design. A subservient designer when woking on external projects.
I try to design in a conscious way; there is so much out there already, and I question every step in every product or project. Goal is to develop products that will add to this world in a positive and sustainable way.
My design approach is to find solutions that are naked, minimalist and unique. Products that have nothing to hide or conceal. Transparency in construction, material and detail. I try to stay away from decorative solutions where I can.
I was born in 1967 in Mwiniliunga, Zambia, studied Industrial Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven, graduated in 1992, specialising in interior architecture and product design, and live and work in Amsterdam, married, with 1 child.
Selected cooperations and projects:
For the design challenge ‘What Design Can Do For refugees’ I designed a low cost recyclable plastic stacking chair / 2016
WDCD / RefChair
For Stage Entertainment I designed a 10 x 30 meter light sculpture, for the Theater an der Elbe in Hamburg, engineering by Antti Kupila / 2014
Theater an der Elbe / Light Sculpture
For Jeroen Kooijmans’ project ‘the Folding House’ I engineered and managed the production of working prototypes for a Folding Market stall and a Tea Pavilion / 2009 – 2010, and I engineered his Tree Garden project / 2014
Jeroen Kooijmans / The market of Tomorrow
Jeroen Kooijmans / Tree Garden
I helped the artist Lucas Lenglet build his 15 m high corten steel watchtower, by co-engineering the construction and proposing design solutions / 2011
Lucas Lenglet / Watchtower
Mukwa: I worked with a group of disabled carpenters in Zambia (where I was born) on making a series of 100 chairs designed by Piet Hein Eek, for export to the Netherlands / 2005
Eigenbenen/ Mukwa Originals
Customr: together with Willem van der Sluis I designed and engineered various products and concepts / 2001- 2004 (f.i.) 3 x winner European Design Competition ‘Lights of the Future’ with the Greenlight Collection, a series of energy efficient luminaires, bought and marketed by Luceplan Italy.
Customr
I worked with photographer Viviane Sassen on her art projects Flamboya and Parasomnia, travelling throughout Africa / 2000 – 2012
Viviane Sassen / Flamboya
Viviane Sassen / Parasomnia
My company Optic• started out as a design brand. I designed, produced and presented various furniture collections. at (f.i.) the Salone del Mobile in Milan (together with the Dutch Individuals 1997, 1998), Designers Block London and Kortrijk Belgium / 1997 – 2001
OVAL was a cooperation with Job Smeets / 1995-1997. We designed and produced various design concepts and products, and worked on exhibition design.