Rutger Graas

The son of a stone sculptor, Rutger Graas was born in 1973 in a small village near Amsterdam. Always drawn to arts and craft, Graas studied fine woodworking in his native Netherlands. The young woodmaster opened his own studio immediately upon graduating.

His passion and understanding of the wood material, as well as the acuteness of his design eye soon brought Graas’ work to the attention of the Dutch design scene. His collaborations with designers including Aldo Bakker have been widely exhibited and belongs to collections both private and institutional.

“Aldo triggers my curiosity and challenges me, which I particularly appreciate. I never rest on any acquired knowledge with him. His vision and his designs push the seeming limits of the craft or the material. It makes me feel that I never left school and makes me want to get up in the morning. I think his work is interesting in a sense that it provokes and challenges everyone from the maker to the viewer or the end user.”