After working in architectural offices, Frans Willigers decided to dedicate himself to his great passion, designing furniture. Every design starts from questions about the furniture. These may relate to the construction, material or use of the furniture. However, they can also be about the history or associations that furniture evokes. The end result is a direct, unambiguous translation of these starting points.
In recent years, the search for the essence of designs has led to the creation of abstract objects. These objects deal with elementary matters of spatial design such as gravity, balance, emptiness, mass, shadow, dark and light.
Exhibitions
2019
Kunstlijn Haarlem, 2-3 November 2019
2018
Triennale ‘Reciprocity Design’, Museé d’Ansembourg, Liège, Belgium
5 October-25 November 2018
Cube Design Museum Kerkrade, 3 March-27 May 2018
Kunst Centrum Haarlem, 10 February-17 March 2018
2016
Masterly, The Dutch in Milano Milan, Italy, Palazzo Francesco Turati,
12-17 April 2016
2014
Nhow Hotel Rotterdam. lounge, February-March 2014
Object 2014 Rotterdam, interior 30th floor with Zetel, 6-9 February 2014
Chair Chain Amsterdam, Elle Festival 27-29 June 2014
Stoel en Design Amsterdam, Museum Geelvinck, 20-29 June 2014
SediaHUB@BUG18 Milan, Via Gaspare Bugatti, 18 17-22 April 2014
2013
Start Crowdfunding LAT Amsterdam, Beurs van Berlage, 5-12-2013
Stoelendans Amsterdam, CBK, 23-8-2013 to 6-10-2013
2011
Woonbeurs Amsterdam, RAI, 24-9-2011 to 2-10-2011
2010
Tuttobene Milan, Via Savona 18, 14-19 April 2010
2009
Tuttobene Milan, Via Savona 6, 22-27 April 2009
Dutch Design Week Eindhoven, Town Hall, 17-25 October 2009
Media
2022
Linköping University Sweden, ‘Deskbound Cultures’
authors Johan Jarlbrink, Charlie Järpvall, 2022
2016
architectuur.nl, ‘The Last Writing Desk’
author Petra Starink, 13 October 2016
Wired, ‘9 pieces of weird furniture that’ll cure the dullest of offices’
author: Margaret Rhodes, 3 October 2016
Financial Times, ‘Why the desk is not obsolete in the laptop age’
author: Emma Crichton-Miller, 8 September 2016
QDaily (blog), ‘This design is awesome’
author: 沈非, 7 June 2016
Ridiculously efficient (blog) ‘Workspace Wednesday: The Last Writing Desk is a minimalist Workstation’
author: Rosemina Nazarali, 1 June 2016
Dezeen ‘Frans Willigers addresses useless work furniture with hybrid desk’
author: Emma Tucker, 29 May 2016
De Standaard ‘Vijf interieurtendensen op de beurs in Milaan’
author: An Boogaerts, 23 April 2016
2015
D’SIGN Magazine ‘Design by Frans Willigers with strong sculptural qualities’
author: Gabriëlle Voogt, 3 March 2015
2014
design.nl ‘Frans Willigers Dutch Blue’
author: Gabrielle Kennedy, 3 april 2014
2013
Woononline (blog) ‘Modern design in de ‘nachtwacht van de architectuur’
author: Natalie Korvin Rieder, 20 november 2013