Marleen Kaptein (Nijmegen, 1971) is a Dutch designer known for her innovative approach to contemporary material use and challenging traditional design and production methods. After graduating from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 1999, she founded the design agency Kaptein Roodnat together with Stijn Roodnat, specializing in interior, furniture and product design.
In 2015, through the Label/Breed platform, Kaptein became an embedded artist at the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR). Here, she worked closely with aerospace engineers and was given access to an advanced fibre placement robot, typically used for manufacturing structural components in the aerospace industry. Kaptein applied this technology in her designs in an innovative way, resulting in unique furniture pieces such as the 'Fibre Placement Chair'.
Her 'Fibre Placement Chair' was included in the permanent collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 2016. In addition, her 'Recycled Carbon Chair', made from almost entirely recycled carbon material, was purchased by the Vitra Museum in Weil am Rhein. Her 'Fibre Placement Lights' can be admired at the TextielMuseum in Tilburg.
Kaptein's work has been exhibited internationally at events such as Beijing Design Week, Nouvelles Vies at the Via Gallery in Paris, Betwin Ocean in Taiwan, the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, Design Kwartier in The Hague, Design Week Eindhoven, and at Norman Foster / Foster + Partners in London. Her innovative approach and collaboration with technological institutions have earned her a unique position in the world of design and art.
In addition to her work in product design, Kaptein has contributed to urban art applications. Together with Stijn Roodnat, she designed the 'city play fence' in the Zeeheldenbuurt in Amsterdam in 2014, a fence constructed from corten steel with cut-out children's drawings, intended to ensure the safety of playing children and to promote interaction in public spaces.
Kaptein's ongoing exploration of materials and technologies, combined with her collaborations with both creative and technical disciplines, make her a pioneer in the contemporary design landscape.
