Born in 1963 in Boxtel, the Netherlands, Marcel Wanders graduated cum laude from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (ArtEZ Institute of the Arts) in Arnhem in 1988. In 1995, he opened his own studio in Amsterdam, and quickly drew attention for his Knotted Chair (1996) for Droog Design, a piece that combined both handcrafting and industrial techniques. In 2001, he cofounded the design label Moooi, and continues to act as the company’s art director. In 2006, he was honored with the title of Elle Decoration’s Designer of the Year. He continues to live and work in Amsterdam.
Wanders designs furniture, objects, and public and private interiors. His aesthetic is whimsical, luxurious, and modern. Clients include Swarovski, Cappellini, Puma, Bisazza, Alessi, KLM, and Mondrian Hotels. His work has been included in a variety of design collections and exhibitions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. In 2009, the Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted Wanders’ first solo exhibition, Daydreams. His first major museum retrospective, Marcel Wanders: Pinned up at the Stedelijk—25 Years of Design, opened at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum in 2014.
