Krijn Hamelink
After completing his studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam in 1969, Krijn Hamelink started his career at the design agency Kho Liang Ie. Krijn has received many prizes and awards, including a nomination for the Dutch Design Prize for the Quasi. From 2002 to the end of 2009, Krijn Hamelink was employed by Vandersluis as a designer. He has a number of successful designs to his name, such as the chairs Quasi, Sari, Emo,Tapa and Raja, and the tables Labda, Quote and Polo.
Designing from an international perspective
“When I make a design, I look mainly at the market and the trends at that particular moment. The design must link up with the needs of the market. I can say that my designs were always designed from an international perspective and not only with an eye for the Dutch market.”
Challenge
“I usually scribble my ideas down on paper. Then I translate the concept into a digital version as quickly as possible. It’s important here to test the design in terms of the ergonomics and producibility. Through experience and experiment, I use technology to reinforce the design. I then try to find a new accent or starting point and try to optimise the available knowledge and technology.”
Quasi
“I was commissioned by Vandersluis to come up with designs which were in keeping with demand from the project market, but distinctive and high-profile wherever possible. It was therefore great when my first design for Vandersluis, the Quasi, received immediate recognition in the form of a nomination for the Netherlands Design Prize. Even more so because the time between design and production was very intensive and short, only a couple of months. This chair therefore still evokes a very special feeling in me.”
