Born in Rotterdam in 1989 Sabine Marcelis counts among the most innovative designers of her generation, not least through her talent for playing with light, colour and form; a talent that has has brought her international attention and acclaim. Marcelis' work is characterised by a special examination of perception and materiality - a focus that she developed during her studies at Design Academy Eindhoven and which enables her art and functional design merge to create furniture, installations and works in public spaces that inspire the viewer to new perceptions.
A milestone in her career was the exhibition Colour Rush! An installation by Sabine Marcelis" at the Vitra Design Museum, an exploration of colour and light that was on display from 14th May 2022 to 5th May 2024, which, and despite the apparent contradiction, included an investigation of the relationship between transparent and opaque materials and within which her works took on an almost sculptural form, opening up a whole new sensory dimension for visitors. The interaction of her works with the space was a central element of the exhibition. This focus gave the exhibition a form that led the viewer into an almost meditative engagement with the objects.
The exploration of public space and inclusion of human interaction defining elements in Marcelis' work. Public places are her preferred settings, as they create a particularly strong connection between object and viewer, someting exemplified by the installation "Vista Aeterna" in Rome, which she realized on behalf of Bvlgari and which is a homage to the architecture of the Eternal City. For the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam marcelis designed an aluminium chair that combines functionality with aesthetic sophistication.
Her penchant for public spaces and her ability to give deeper meaning to these contexts have earned Marcelis the title of Dezeen Awards' Designer of the Year in 2024, an award that recognises her outstanding creativity and vision in the world of design.
Her talent for combining contemporary art and design is also evident in one of her most recent works - the VitraHaus Loft, which was created in collaboration with Vitra and has been on display at VitraHaus since June 12, 2024. Here, Marcelis has added an artistic highpoint to a building awash with such via a space that employs a modular colour scheme that is intended to encourage visitors to think about their own home. The use of colours alone separates individual rooms functionally; colours that are Marcelis' personal favorites, as she finds it dangerous to just follow trends. In addition, as she tells in an interview with Vitra Magazine in the May/2024 issue, she has worked with a mix of old, new, unexpected and iconic furniture - a bit of everything.
In addition to her installations, Marcelis also works with furniture designs: One example is the Panton Chair Sabine Marcelis Edition, released in 2024. Her interpretation of the iconic chair, which plays with dynamic colour gradients and a sophisticated choice of materials, gives the classic another, futuristic dimension.
Marcelis' works are also an invitation to look at the world from a new perspective: her experiences in Indonesia, where she worked on a design project in 2016, influenced her approach to materiality and light. Above all, the natural lighting conditions and the intense coluors of this environment later flowed into her work and shaped her unmistakable style.
With her clear eye for the interplay of form, color and light, Sabine Marcelis has taken the design world by storm. Her works are a reflection of her own perception and an invitation to experience the space and things around us in a new way.
