Fien Muller and
Hannes Van Severen

Founded in early Spring 2011 by Belgian artists Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, Muller Van Severen explore the intersection of sculpture and functional objects through their sculptural furniture designs. Their work engages with space and architecture, reflecting a blend of art and materiality.

Over the past 15 years, Muller Van Severen have cultivated a body of work that aims to rethink furniture design, moving away from familiar forms without introducing unnecessary distractions. The result of their dialogue between form, space and possibilities of use manifests itself in several collections that propose a reinterpretation of the interaction with the environment.

Inspired by a broad spectrum of sources, Muller Van Severen absorb ideas from various fields, allowing their impressions to evolve into concepts over time. This approach grants them the freedom to draw connections across disciplines. Looking to the future, they remain committed to curiosity and continual exploration, which they see as vital motivators in their creative journey.

Their design philosophy navigates a spectrum of contrasts, such as introversion and extroversion, presence and absence, and femininity and masculinity. This duality manifests in their work, which is characterized by subdued sculptural forms that evoke miniature architecture. When it comes to material selection, Muller Van Severen gravitate towards solid materials that are both timeless and contemporary. They appreciate the natural qualities of these materials and explore surprising combinations, using them in their purest form to celebrate their inherent beauty. The duo balances classic and modern finishes, focusing on
instinctual choices rather than an excess of materials.

Muller Van Severen create both own collections - all handmade by small-scale fabricators and skilled artisans - as well as designs for brands such as Hay, BD Barcelona Design, Zanotta, valerie_objects and Kvadrat. Having won numerous awards and exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide (Musée des Arts Décoratifs Paris, Galerie Kreo, Massimo De Carlo, Andreas Murkudis, Tim Van Laere Gallery), Muller Van Severen is considered one of the most iconic European design studios today. Their work is part of several public collections such as Vitra Design Museum (DE), Centre Pompidou (FR), Le Grand-Hornu (BE), Musée des Arts Décoratifs (FR), Design Museum Gent (BE) and CNAP, Centre National des Arts Plastiques (FR).