Arian Brekveld (Apeldoorn 1968) graduated at the Eindhoven Design Academy in 1995, after which he worked for three years as a designer on environmental and industrial projects at Ontwerpwerk in the Hague. Since 1998, Brekveld has been working independently from his studio in Rotterdam, where he designs his own products as well as works on assignments. In addition, he is working as the main 3-d designer for JongeriusLab, Hella Jongerius’ agency for more than 10 years. He serves as an important external link in the design and execution of products and assignments.
Brekveld is a designer with many faces; material and concept are indispensable to his work, but the essence of his designership is the detailed execution of a product or specific material. One example is the Softlamp: a small lamp made of dipmolded pvc, that was included in the Droog Collection in1995, and was purchased, among others, by the New York and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It is hardly surprising that the lamp was a popular success; its sympathetic shape, the smooth transition from wire to shade and the material’s transparency, reminiscent of porcelain or opal glass, are convincing setting points.
Arian Brekveld is a very Dutch designer: his work is functional and practical, is produced in considerable quantities and preferably without a great deal of fuss. These elements provide a checklist for his designs. His products do not suffer because the checklist is never used at the expense of the products’ attractiveness. Sober yet carefully crafted designs flow from his worktable. Brekveld’s designs are hardly famous for their elaborate forms. For him, simplicity is a basic necessity.
