In Conversation: Lucas Maassen & Margriet Craens

From erotic chair affairs to edible ideas, Lucas Maassen and Margriet Craens merge design and art with equal parts tragedy, humor, and everyday inspiration.

Text by: Anna Falkenland

“We thought of Van Gogh’s secret affair story and made a Kama Sutra-inspired chair series.”

Tell us about yourself and how you got started with art.

MC: I always liked making things, and at some point I went to art school. I’ve been making art ever since. Tragedy and humor are central to my interests.

LM: For me, I was always interested in furniture and interior design because my dad was an architect. I studied at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. I like to make things, and my dad built my first chair when I was one. I later reproduced it for a project with my sons.

What are your sources of inspiration?

MC: Food is also a big source of inspiration, though especially for what to eat. Sometimes it leads to a project. I once did a whole project about cheese. Awkward social situations also inspire me. 

LM: My sources of inspiration are around me. I’ve done projects with my family, my sons, and my parents. Personal connections bring more meaning to my work. Now that we have a dog, I’ll probably do a project with it too. I’m also inspired by artists like Rietveld, Enzo Mari, and other design heroes. 

“Food is a big source of inspiration. I once did a whole project about cheese.”

Can you share a story behind one of your most popular pieces?

LM: The “Chair Affair” is our most well-known series. It began when I started making chairs that could sit, sing, do yoga – even act. When Margriet and I first started dating, I began sketching little chairs “doing it together.” She responded by creating real chair installations, dressed in clothes. Eventually, we developed the idea into a project for the Van Gogh House in Nuenen. We were invited to create a work inspired by Van Gogh’s life, and there was a story about him having a secret affair with a woman who lived there. That story became our starting point – a kind of Kama Sutra for chairs.
MC: The idea was to draw inspiration from Van Gogh’s life, but apparently not from that particular episode... It caused a bit of controversy, and we were almost cancelled from the show – but we went ahead and completed the work anyway.
LM: In the end, we made nearly a hundred chair installations, photographed them, exhibited them, and published a book called Chair Affair, featuring erotic stories inspired by the images.

What does art mean to you?

LM: It’s one of the most essential things in life. Without art, life would suck. The world would not exist as we know it. 

MC: Imagine no music, no creativity. Art makes people stay sensible. 

What’s the biggest challenge of being an artist?

MC: Storage! Taking care of all the stuff you make.
LM: Work-life balance is a challenge. We run a restaurant and art space, and everything intertwines. Sometimes it’s hard, but I also like that overlap. 


Where do you live, and does your place impact your art?

LM: We built a wooden house with friends in Eindhoven. The process was a disaster, but we moved in two years ago. Now we’re moving again, into an old Finnish school with a workspace. That will impact how we work.

What advice would you give aspiring artists?

LM: Don’t think too much. Trust your gut. Believe everything you do is good.

MC: Be convinced of yourself, but also open to feedback.

What are you focusing on right now?

LM: Holiday! Swimming, cycling, cooking, walking the dog. For work, I’m focusing on engraving tin objects and painting blue stripes on styrofoam.

MC: I’m focused on creating a new menu for our bar and preparing for Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about art?

LM: My teacher Ari once said, “That’s nice, but it’s ugly… but you are ugly.” It taught me beauty is subjective, and you decide what’s good. He also told me that getting a dog would give me structure. That was more life advice, but art is life.