Friday

Light, Color and Nature’s Play: Tord Boontje

Filed under Interior Design, Artists/Spotlights

Spring is in the not so far off distance — or at least that is what I tell myself to ward off rainy images of March — and with it come the pleasant reminders that the world is alive and beautiful: flowers, cherry blossoms, warmer days, budding tree leaves . . . the list goes on. There is no better artist to celebrate the coming of spring than Tord Boontje , the Dutch-born London-based designer who creates highly detailed glassware, lighting and furniture that all reflect the playful side of nature.

Born in Enschede, Netherlands in 1968 Boontje studied industrial design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and then went on to pursue a master course at the Royal College of Art in London, where he now teaches. He has designed everything from limited edition to mass marketed pieces, making his work known round the world.

The first thing that strikes me when looking at Boontje’s work is his impressive ability to creatively combine naturally playful elements with a clean sophistication. His pieces have a way of seeming nearly organic, absorbing cues from the natural environment and then combining those with the precision of hi-tech techniques. The end product is both whimsical and sharp. Continue…