For the love of stacking
- Marisa first worked as an art director
- Her creativity is sparked by stories
- Her wooden designs often consist of stacked elements
After a long career as an art director, producing 2D designs and images, Marisa Klaster switched to making 3D objects with her hands. She chose to work with wood. “Because it is such an old material that always tells a tale through its various colour grains, structures and locations,” she says. Her creativity is always sparked by stories, by just looking at the world around her or inspired by intriguing questions from clients. “I translate those stories into objects that combine functionality and playfulness. I want to make people wonder about the narrative behind my works.” Her original designs often consist of strong silhouettes made of smaller stackable elements. Since 2017, Marisa has her workshop Het_houtlokaal in the heart of Rotterdam.
Interview
- Which aspects of your profession do you love the most?
- Stumbling upon inspiring stories. That first phase of researching, sketching and looking for the right narrative. I also love working with other makers, exploring how you can make something together with respect for each other’s craft and personality.
- Is there something particular about your creations that catches people’s attention?
- That I like to stack things. I enjoy designing smaller elements that can be stacked up and thus give shape to large layered objects. This has become my signature style, I believe.
- Is there a moment in your career as an artisan that you will never forget?
- The moment I laid eyes on almost 2000-year-old Roman wood. I could not predict at the time that this was the start of a project that would keep me busy for more than two years and give me a lot of exposure.
- Do you think your craft is currently in danger?
- I do not think so. More and more people like to have objects especially made for them. Pricing however remains a challenge. Handmade unique objects are not cheap. As makers, we need to reflect on how we can tackle that, too.
Marisa Klaster is a master artisan: she began her career in 2010 and she started teaching in 2003
Where
Marisa Klaster
