Maarten Baas: Carapace

A hard metal skin protects the soft body of Maarten Baas’ newest furniture series, that borrows organic forms from nature and 1950s refrigerators.

Dutch designer Maarten Baas presents his latest collection Carapace at Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s recently opened New York space.

Carapace is a scientific term for a protective, decorative or camouflaging shell found on the back of animals such as beetles and turtles. This idea of creating a “hard skin” to protect the soft body is a key inspiration for this Maarten Baas’ newest series.

Starting off in admiration of the 1950s refrigerator, this led him to the study of these curved, organic forms found in nature. The designer has created a series of furniture encompassed by a patchwork of bronze plating, dot-welded, piece-by-piece, to form the skin of the furniture, acting as a protective shield, similar to a turtle shell.

The designer says, “I feel it’s important to have a hard layer under which something good and fruitful can bloom up. The works explore the feeling of vulnerability up against the desire for development in the environment.” Carapace reflects the idea of the protective in harmony with the beautiful. It is represented by the hard metal exterior, consequently conveying the evolution of the very fine interior where treasure can hide.