interview with young furniture designer Marieke De Backer
If you’ve been following WATF for a while, you’ve discovered that we’re dedicated to finding and promoting Belgium’s young and upcoming Wood(craft) and Textile talent, and there’s no shortage of it! About one year ago, we had the pleasure of meeting the inspiring and kind Marieke De Backer.
Marieke’s designs materialise her calmness, heart for the world, and her honest search in life, furniture design, and the contribution she longs to make to the world.
My creative process is a journey into my own identity and who I am as a designer
“I’ve taken my education as a time to experiment and try different design approaches to get to know myself and my identity as a designer through my creations,” Marieke begins. “I’m dedicated to this personal and creative research and will see where I eventually land. I want my designs to surprise me.”
“I’ve always been very creative. As a child the art academy was the place where I came to life,” Marieke continues. “My attraction to design definitely lies in its huge potential for creative expression. There are few rules you need to follow; you can be really creative and leave your mark. I love paying attention to detail and enjoy thinking about how spaces and objects relate to each other. I believe this is visible in my furniture designs.”
We should think about designing furniture that can completely disappear and disintegrate into nature without leaving a trace
“Sustainability is the future,” Marieke says. “It’s important to dedicate ourselves to the research of sustainable solutions and be on a mission to create a greener world and leave a smaller carbon footprint. We should think about designing furniture that can completely disappear and disintegrate into nature without leaving a trace. This personal vision is what made ‘Seat Shell’, my sustainable design piece, come to life”.
“Seat Shell is the design and personal story I am most proud of,” Marieke tells us. “I reflected on how I could create a design that offers a solution to reducing waste streams, repurposing materials, and creating a furniture piece with a low environmental impact. Seat Shell is made out of Belgium’s most famous restaurant waste: mussel and oyster shells. I collected the shells in fish restaurants and created a deck chair out of them. The shells are connected with natural glue. The bench is alive and, through erosion, it eventually reintegrates with its natural environment, the sea. Everything that came from the ocean, returns to the ocean, leaving no harmful trace”.
I research what happens in other sectors, how different elements are used and could be blended in furniture design
“My interests and identity flow into my designs,” Marieke says. “I love being outdoors and have a special love for outdoor furniture design. Environmental impact is a huge sensitivity for me, so my design research and process carry forward this philosophy.”
“I love following what happens in different sectors, observing how different elements are used and applied. I look for ways to experiment with materials, processes, and approaches, and integrate them into my designs. This was the ideation behind my BUDO designs”.
“In my BUDO furniture pieces, I repurpose Taekwando bands. The bands are seamlessly woven into a strong, functional, and ergonomic seat structure”.
It’s pivotal to take time to learn how to work with real-life, physical materials
We asked Marieke about her visions on the increasing digitisation of the design industry. She responds:
“In school, we worked with 3D design and drawing a lot, but I personally have less affinity with digital design. I love working with materials and creating a connection with them. In a digital environment, I miss the tactile experience, holding and feeling the materials, building experience, and know-how of working with different materials. Nevertheless, I believe digital design is becoming more and more important, and a digital approach to design will increase, especially when it comes down to transforming materials into digital twins”.
“I do believe it’s pivotal to take time to learn how to work with real-life, physical materials. Getting to know different materials, and how they move, form, and operate… increases your understanding of design, enhances your creations, and helps you to become a better designer”.
“My aspirations for the future? I’ve recently finished my postgraduation in circular building and hope to be able to implement the knowledge I’ve gained in my designs. Constructing fully circular buildings is difficult, it relies on the impact and influence of the surroundings and environment. I’m very excited about my most recent project, I’m working on a brand-new collection of furniture pieces and objects together with another interior architect and furniture designer, Julie Weghsteen”.
We’re excited to find out what the future has in store for you, Marieke! Thank you for sharing your journey and visions with us!
