Minale - Maeda
Founded in
2006 by kuniko maeda (tokyo, japan) and mario minale (naples, italy) in
rotterdam, the netherlands, after maeda, graduated in science of design at
musashino art university in tokyo while minale, grown up in germany, graduated
in industrial design at the university of wuppertal, germany. Both studied at
the design academy eindhoven and were awarded master degrees. Despite far apart
origins, they discovered a like-minded view on design, their broad cultural
background grants them a wide perspecyive on material culture. They chose to
remain in the netherlands for it being a fertile common ground.
They work between usable products and artistic statements as they see design
founded in utilitarian needs but aso an expression of culture. They are interested
in the effects of consumerism and the improvement of life quality, the
possibilities between mass-production and the cultivated skill of the
craftsman. They see the contemporary challenge of the information society to
embrace the immaterial and find realism in the artificial.
They worked with renowned companies such as droog and skitsch, explored the
crafts of weavers and upholsterers in italy and porcelain crafters in japan,
their work was exhibited by galleries such as droog amsterdam and new york, tools
galerie in paris, fairs such as design miami/basel, fiac and milan, and museums
like mudac in lausanne and centraal museum in utrecht, where it is also part of
the permanent collection. It is widely published by the international press
such as wallpaper, frame, elle deco, vogue maison, interni and featured in
books such gestalten’s “desire - the shape of things to be” and sophie lovell’s
“limited edition”.
