November 6, 2025 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
MAARTEN DE CEULAER
CURIOSITY. CRAFT. EMOTION.
words Onur Basturk
portrait photos Joran Vanhaste, Adriaan Hauwaert
Curious and endlessly experimental, Belgian designer Maarten De Ceulaer builds worlds where emotion meets precision and materials tell stories of transformation. Fresh off the release of his Impulse lighting collection for Modular and soon to present new works with Sorry We’re Closed at The Rooms fair in Brussels, he continues to blur the lines between art, design, and craft.
EVERY PROJECT IS A NEW UNIVERSE
You gained international attention straight after graduation with A Pile of Suitcases. Looking back, how did that early success shape your approach to design?
I don’t think that early success shaped my approach to design. For me, it was simply very surprising to see how popular my graduation piece suddenly became. One moment I was still a student, and the next I was being interviewed by magazines from all over the world and receiving calls from major galleries. Of course, I thought, this went easier than I imagined while studying. And then you assume the rest of your career will be just as smooth — which, of course, wasn’t always the case.
The project was inspired by your travels through Asia. How did that journey influence the way you perceive materials, form, and storytelling today?
The project wasn’t really inspired by my travels through Asia, but by my love of traveling itself. I had been dreaming of taking a six-month journey through Asia right after graduating — it was all I could think about at the time. So when I had to find a topic for my graduation project, I chose travel and started researching. I wanted to express a universal feeling that most of us experience: nostalgia for past journeys, or the excitement of those still to come.
I sought inspiration in the exquisite leatherwork of old suitcases and cabin trunks from brands like Louis Vuitton or Moynat, interpreting them in a contemporary way. I also liked the idea of separate units that could be reassembled into many different configurations. Once the concept was ready, I found one of the best leather craftsmen in Belgium, Ralph Baggaley, and together we spent countless hours prototyping and refining every detail. That collaboration gave me a tremendous respect for craftsmanship. I really pushed Ralph out of his comfort zone, and together we created something we’re both still very proud of.
I LİKE TO STIR PEOPLE’S EMOTIONS
Your work often moves between the rational and the emotional, the sculptural and the functional. How do you find balance between these worlds?
I like using my work to stir people’s emotions, to inspire their imagination, and to make them wonder. Creating merely beautiful or functional objects doesn’t interest me much — I usually start from a concept or a feeling I want to express. Through form, detail, material, and texture, I guide the viewer’s mind in a certain direction. I love it when people see my work and start daydreaming. I’m a designer, so all of my pieces have a function, but the emotional layer is just as important to me.
You’ve spoken about a deep curiosity for material transformation. What draws you to that constant state of experimentation?
For me, every project should be its own universe — a world that can stand on its own. I always look for the best material to express a specific idea, which is why I work with so many. Each new project is a chance to discover a material with its own characteristics and production techniques — and that discovery process is the most exciting part of my job.
Depending on the material, I have two paths: either I explore it myself, hands-on, as I did with the Cairn Lights, where I sculpted natural stone for the first time; or, when mastering a material would take years, I collaborate with the best craftsmen I can find, as I did with the Suitcase Series. Becoming a skilled leather craftsman would take at least ten years, so there was no point in trying to do it myself. But even then, I immersed myself fully in the process to understand it — so I could push the craftsmen in directions they might not have considered.
LIGHT IS A POETIC MEDIUM
From Cairn Lights to your soon-to-be-released Impulse collection for Modular, your recent work explores light as a sculptural medium. What fascinates you most about working with light?
I love designing lighting objects because light is such a subtle and poetic medium. There’s so much room for expression and exploration. Of course, it has to be functional, but there are so many ways to achieve that — and every material you use changes the light’s character completely.
You’ll soon present new work with Sorry We’re Closed at The Rooms fair in Brussels. Can you share a glimpse of what’s to come?
With Sorry We’re Closed, I’ll be showing new pieces from the Cairn Lights collection. I’ve been experimenting with new shapes and colour combinations. I’ve really fallen in love with this hands-on process — finding the right stones, combining them in interesting ways, then sculpting and carving them. It’s become a bit of an addiction; I’m constantly thinking about new pieces to make.
How do collaborations with brands like Fendi, Casamania, or CC-Tapis differ from your gallery-oriented pieces?
Not much, actually. Many evolve from self-initiated ideas. The Fendi project was different — they gave me a specific brief, which I loved, because it challenged me to think beyond my usual approach and explore new directions.
CURIOSITY IS A MINDSET
Being named Designer of the Year 2025 by Knack Weekend and Le Vif Weekend marks a milestone. How do you interpret this recognition within your personal journey?
I’m, of course, very grateful for this recognition. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve mostly worked with galleries and clients abroad. To receive an award like this in my home country is very special — it’s nice to see that the work is being noticed and appreciated.
The jury described you as a designer who “remains curious about the unknown.” Do you see curiosity as a method or a mindset?
I think it’s a mindset — probably one of my greatest assets. I’m just curious in general, both in my personal and professional life, so I wouldn’t call it a method. My mind simply needs new input regularly, which is why I love travelling — exploring different cultures, meeting people, tasting new food. It’s the same with my work: when I’ve been focused on the same project for too long, I start itching to explore something new. Whenever I encounter a new material or technique, ideas start quietly forming in the back of my mind.
Belgium has a unique design landscape — intimate yet internationally connected. How do you see your role within that context?
Belgium is a great place to be a designer. We have excellent organisations that support design by organising exhibitions abroad, participating in fairs, offering awards, and helping with prototypes. And, as you said, it’s still a very intimate scene where most people know each other.
If you could design without any practical constraints — no gravity, no material limits — what would you create?
If I could design without any practical constraints, I would create a living, evolving architecture — a structure that grows, breathes, and adapts like an organism. It would float freely in space, shifting form according to its environment and the needs of its inhabitants. Walls could become transparent or opaque depending on light and mood; spaces could expand, contract, or merge organically.
