One of the most influential contemporary Dutch furniture designers, several of Maarten Baas’s unique works have been on show at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Mayfair, which has recently moved from the ground floor gallery to a much larger and more flexible space immediately above.   Now the furniture is on its way to the Groninger Museum for the exhibition “Hide and Seek, Maarten Baas”, the first major solo exhibition of his work at such a museum.  Interestingly, his exhibition overlaps with another on Rodin; it would be interesting to see the two together.

His work is unique, theatrical, decadent and humorous, as for example in his Grandfather Clock in which the face is created by the image of Baas himself redrawing time.   It is difficult to decide where the separation point comes between art and design, as is the case with many of the artist-designers the gallery represents.

Also on show at the gallery are art-inspired lighting, furniture and vases, including Atelier van Lieshout‘s characteristic sculptural lighting,  a wispy naturalist desk by Vincent Dubourg and a spooky vase and horizontal rack by Lionel Scoccimaro, while Random international’s geometric light changes in response to the motion and sound around it.