Sabine Marcelis on changing a room with art
Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis lives her life with her eyes wide open, always on the lookout for magical moments – in the real world and her work. The way the water glistens when light hits it a certain way may very well be the start of a new project.
“I hope to create a sort of moment of wonder within all my objects and spaces so that they’re not just static pieces but something you experience dynamically”, says Sabine.
Best known for her resin and neon, glass and marble work, Marcelis does product, installation, and spatial design. With her studio one floor up from where the production takes place, she’s often in the workshop discussing with the specialists.
“A lot of my inspiration comes through doing. I’m not one for sitting down sketching. I get straight into the material – and the form comes afterwards.”
Finding the magic is a process. Getting back to the example with the glistening water, Sabine describes how she tries to recreate that special moment with materials similar to water, like resin and glass.
“It’s really a matter of experimenting. Then somewhere in there, there’s a sweet spot of ‘yes, this is amazing, let’s go with that’.”
Can you tell us more about the wall lamp in two different sizes for IKEA Art Event 2021?
“It’s very stripped back in shape, a simple white disk on the wall, and then there’s this strong gesture cutting through the surface. The light reflects off the opaque surface and against the wall, and you get a strong slice of light that peaks through the slash. It’s like having an art piece on the wall, and it’s an object of wonder. When you turn it on, and it has this warm coral light coming out, it changes the space. And that’s what I think art does.”
IKEA Art Event 2021 is launching during spring 2021.