Marie van der Kroft’s cabinet of curiosities

To what extent do artists’ formative years set the tone for their creative pursuits? Is one’s artistic intuition so lovingly meddlesome that it almost instantly (and quite powerfully) takes hold? Marie van der Kroft’s childhood was hallmarked by persistent, feverish curiosity. She wanted to know how everything around her worked–to investigate the inner layers and intriguing intricacies of every composition–and felt most at ease when she got to build new things.

Aptly entitled Impress, The Dutch designer’s inventive wooden cabinet is yet another manifestation of her inquisitorial nature as the concept stands out with its frameless state. 

A pivotal moment, when Marie turned six, she was gifted with her own toolbox. A year later, she distinctly recalls being under the kitchen sink with her father, trying to figure out how a tap works. She was never afraid to ask questions, get her hands dirty, or swap playtime for getting to know the basics. Unsurprisingly, Marie’s behavioral patterns have guided and influenced her work.

She loves to experiment with materials and is driven by a desire to highlight their unique characteristics in unexpected ways. Gradually over time, the Design Academy Eindhoven Dutch graduate has developed a strong affection for wood, with its warm and natural feel, which has become her primary medium. 

For Marie, how an object is perceived is key to her process. Before choosing the color palette for any project, she spends long stretches of time carefully considering how and why an object can be active. By exploring movement and all the countless possibilities it can unlock, Marie crafts interior pieces that are rooted in the element of surprise and serve as focal points to their surroundings as opposed to merely blending in.

In a bid to fight tediousness and pure functionality, the designer is focused on creating playful and dynamic pieces, part of her Atelier Makr’s expanding portfolio, that provoke physical reactions just as much as they do emotional ones. 

Despite the fact it initially reads as a fixed construct, Impress is a wooden cabinet that changes through our interaction with it. The cabinet depicts how materials can profusely affect a piece of furniture’s shape and presence. Impress is made of oak wooden planks held in position by side walls of spring metal. Spring metal’s unmatched flexibility affects the appearance of the cabinet which pulls you in with its minimalism and elegance. 

Impress transforms into a wavy structure once triggered by the weight of items placed on its wooden shelves. The cabinet’s small spacers limit the degree of distortion. If one were to remove the objects on display, Impress returns to its original shape. It’s very much a poetic play between action and reaction thus conveying the enchanting interconnectedness between human and material. Each contrasting configuration of components defines Impress’s appearance–the idea of predictability evaporates. At its core, Impress is ever-changing and always in sync with its owner. And so, every cabinet is unquestionably unique. 

Marie wholeheartedly believes engagement with the objects we bring into our lives is crucial. In this way, we create meaningful bonds with them as they shape into our cherished companions over time. Impress deeply reflects precisely that as it embodies that precious, ceaseless dialogue in daring ways.