Two Of A Kind

- Jeremy Callaghan

THE SAYING OPPOSITES ATTRACT certainly rings true for Belgian creative couple Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen. Fien is a photographer from a family of antique collectors. Hannes, a sculptor, comes from a prestigious line of painters and designers. She has a knack for making odd elements feel harmonious; he turns the familiar into the absurd. Together, they are Muller Van Severen, a furniture collection of multi-use bookcases, chairs, tables and lamps that tread the line between functional design and art. Made from industrial materials in shades inspired by colour-coded chopping boards, the furniture began as an experiment, but has cemented their place in both the design and art worlds. Hannes admits there’s a hint of wit about their minimalist collections. “I like giving everyday objects a little twist so they become strange. Our work has straight lines, but what happens within those lines is playful.” Their home, just outside of Ghent in Belgium, has lots of space for their two daughters, along with a shed that they turned into a workshop. “We’ve managed to create our own lit