In Conversation With Richard Hutten

Widely known for playful concepts, the multidisciplinary Dutch designer articulates his positive approach towards his creations

- Aneesha Bhadri

“For me, designing is playing. When you give a child a football, he doesn’t wait for inspiration to strike, he just starts to kick the ball and see where it ends. That’s how I design,” says Hutten. Born in the Netherlands in 1967, the versatile creative graduated from the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 1991 and set up his studio the very same year. “I was born a designer—I have been making things from an early age—so I wouldn’t call it a choice. I was 16, when I realised that I had been designing all along and I could make it my profession,” says Hutten. A dabbler in furniture as well as interior design, many of his works have become iconic and been represented in museums globally.

As he talks about his passion, Hutten recalls his very first project—a castle he built at 11 years of age for his brothers. Years later, it was the table chair he made for his graduation work, his premier professional project that launched his career when it was displayed in 20 museums worldwide. Hutten’s work always conveys a playful approach. He says, “I don’t solve problems, I create possibilities. It’s about experimenting and interacting with others. I don’t try to lure people with beautiful objects, I try to amuse them and I want them to have fun.”