MAFAD Graduation Expo 2018

Nathan Klein

MAFAD (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design) presented their newest graduates; the class of 2018. With an exhibition staged at the academy MAFAD presents the Design and Fine Arts graduates. This year, the design department in particular showcased an energetic exhibition with multiple future promises. The class of 2018 shows creativity with engaging themes withiout losing sense for commercial potential.
Twelve of them already caught attention at FASHIONCLASH Festival under the name Collective 12. Nathan Klein took away the Chapeau Magazine Award and selection for Lichting 2018 with his personal coming-of-age collection 'The First Time He Kissed a Boy'.
"I was inspired by a teenage experience that left me questioning myself. A loss of innocence during adolescence, the moment just before a teenage crush burst its dam and becomes a fully fledged first love, the is a story about coming-of-age." Kalkidan Hoex created a series of jewelry inspired by her Ethiopian heritage, mixing youth cultures and illustration, she presented a strong and cohesive proposal.
Pia Walter merged contemporary and digital lives together with raw nature by working with recycled tents, army equipement and prints. She is the second finalist for the national best of graduate show the Lichting.  Nienke Creemers showed an engaging protest collection inspired by the history of cotton. 'UNPICKING COTTON' is a protest against the fashion industry and it's rich history of abuse. "While making my collection I tried to make everything as fair and ecological as possible. Soon i discovered this wasn't possible. Even though my intentions were good, I couldn't achieve a 100% fair collection. The knowledge about the industry's history and how we view fashion now, made me think: Did our colonial history influence the way the fashion industry is now?" 
Laura van der Spoel presented a collection of textiles inspired by the attemt to inspire people to stand out from the crowd. Her material experiments were translated into garments and presented on models showing the potential to design for both fashion as interiur market. Sam Schobbe showed ready to wear commercial potential with her print collection inspired by the positive characteristics from ADHD. With this personal inspiration her attempt was to make her ADHD tangible.  
Michelle Zwinkels and Bojanna Aleksić, both experimented with boundaries between jewelry, accessories and fashion design around the body. While Anke Bos merged illustration and textile with her project 'Teleurgang van de millennials'.

Bert Snaterse

At the Fine Arts department Morena Bamberger stood out with an installation inspired by dream images. Her work ‘Reinconnection’ earned her the Gilbert de Bontridderprijs 2018 award. A large space was completely transformed into a cave expressing her own dream world and imagination. The work of Bert Snaterse was presented in various rooms.
Inspired by 'the body and the physical', 'the light on a discarded mattress' and the fact' that the color pink has only been a girls' color since the 1950s', the work of Bert seems quirky and banal, but while taking a closer look we discovere sincere layers of

Take a look at the picture report
all images are by brankopopovicblog

EMBRACING EXCHANGE

EMBRACING EXCHANGE showcased the best current design from Cologne, Maastricht and Eindhoven.

The ten-day exhibition showed state-of-the-art design from these three areas and took place in the ‘Eiffelgebouw’. During the exhibition period, various events where programmed by creatives from the local creative industry.
The exhibition consisted of six different 'collections' compiled by curators Maurer United Architects, Sabine Voggenreiter, Leonne Cuppen and Chequita Nahar.

'Material Designers' showed Eindhoven and South Limburg designers with the focus on materials. 'Generation Köln' showed a new generation of Cologne designers. 'Space Invaders' shows the work of Limburg (interior-) architects. 'Southern Treasures' shows the best alumni of the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design. 'Jwls Jwls' showed contemporary jewelry. 'Images Imagined' showed graphic works.

The exhibition features jong and established designers such as Paul Koenen, Marit van Heumen, Anne Buescher, Boy Bastiaens, Ted Noten, Moniek Vierling, Maurice Mentjens, Anna Davies, Iris Claessens, Kasper Hamacher, Woodjai Lee, Anasatasia Eggers and many more.

More info http://embracing.exchange/

Take a look at my photo report from some impressions

MAFAD - Graduation Expo 2017

Jessica den Hartog

From Thursday 6 July to Tuesday the 11th, MAFAD (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design) presented their newest graduates, The class of 2017.
With this exhibition they have mixed the departments, previewing the new Design curriculum and offering a fresh view into MAFAD's talent. 

About the new MAFAD curriculum: MAFAD is seeking for a new generation of idealistic and socially engaged students viewing society and the existing systems with a critical eye. Inspired by leading innovators, a symbiotic and sustainable image has emerged in which life is consciously expressed in terms of a new identity. The areas of Body, Object and Material become more personally oriented towards society, the community. They research new materials and techniques of our age and the future. It’s a time that is inciting young designers like our students to innovate and to redefine what Body, Object and Material can be. A global social plea for freedom, self-expression and engagement?

MAFAD offers both an applied and an autonomous program, individually or in collective practices. Our students explore the challenge in finding the right tools to translate an idea into material. The development of new technologies and a grasp of the importance of sustainability are values that drive students and cause them to expand the borders of the traditional systems. With their innovative solutions and fresh designs, their generation has arrived at the interface between Design and Applied Arts embracing the crafts.

www.mafad.nl

Take a look at some highlights from the Class of 2017.

Jessica den Hartog

MAFAD Graduation Show 2016

Maarten van Mulken

MAFAD Graduation Show featured only five graduates but all of them presented interesting collections, in fact some of them where among the highlight of the FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016. Maarten van Mulken and Domino Vugts where both finalists at the Lichting Show.

Maarten van Mulken aims to challange the wearer to think and not just consume. He drew inspiration from the ‘autarkic egos’ of people, the term invented by philosopher Ayn Rand who states that someone who holds an idea doesn’t change that to please other people. It’s a person who makes his own rational choices and thinks before he acts.

' I try to let my designs embody an idea, shaped into a form that clashes two worlds. On one hand it’s clothing that is well crafted, and on the other, it brings a statement that should raise questions with the audience about how they make their decisions in buying clothes. They cannot just be beautiful pieces of clothing, they have to give the viewer something to think about.' 
With my collection I wanted to transform opinions people have towards consumption. I wanted to create my own resistance army of aggressive women that embody this idea. They choose for themselves and will not yield their ideas to anybody. At the start of my design process I cut up a lot of army clothing and rearranged it in a new order to show the ridiculousness of how fashion makes clothing that’s rather impractical to wear. I chose army clothing for multiple reasons, but mostly because army clothing is practical and by cutting it up the practical side gets lost. From that point on, I wanted to work with patterns that save fabric in cutting, but because of that you lose even more fabric in a piece of clothing. Normally making patterns for garments produces a lot of wasted fabric, in my collection I instead create patterns that use the whole width of the fabric, which does not allow for waste. However, the design keeps all the lost fabric on the body, so in the end much more fabric is used compared to a conventional way of construction. This could trigger the audience to question their views on overconsumption in fashion.'

Domino Vugts aimed to design a women's collection with elements from Formula 1 racing aesthetic. 'I see Formula 1 as a very cool, powerful and high speed sport, but also as a field which is still dominated by men. Currently there are no female drivers in the Formula 1 racing teams. I find this shocking. I believe that women are fully empowered to work in every field they want so it makes me sad to see the opposite. In this racing sport men are seen as winners and heroes whereas women are seen as sensual objects. I believe this has to change! Women are not mere decoration; women are individuals with visions, focus and strength. My collection reflects what I think women could be, if they dare. I playfully want to challenge women to step out of their comfort zone and dare to be the heroines and winners I know they are. She who dares, wins.' 

Ilona Simons presented a promising menswear proposal with her collection 'I am I man', Mia Wolff Metternich presented a collection based on textile design and Victoria Keller melted the hearts of the audience with a kids collection, not only with adorable models but also with a good collection.

www.mafad.nl

All images by brankopopovicblog

MAFAD Graduation 2015

Renate Roxanne Cuiper

MAFAD - Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design

It's the time of the year when dreams and visions of young designers and artists are on display for the world to see. No exception for MAFAD academy in Maastricht with numerous promising 2015 graduates.
Starting from fashion department where 8 designers (From the About 11 collective) are graduating. We have already seen their graduation collection at FASHIONCLASH Festival, and now at the exhibition it is nice to see all the details. Here at the fashion and textile department one can discover very nice presentation of textile designer Maud Hoeilmakers who developed a collection of socks.
At the product and jewelry section all eyes on the striking and dramatic catwalk installation that shows the work of Renate Roxanne Cuiper. Furthermore there is a balanced variety of product and jewelry designer. One of the highlights is the work by Marit van Heumen who researched wearability and Caro Carpenter with poetic and spiritual installation.
Closing the visit at academy I enjoyed the fine arts department, in particular with work of Sara Bachour and Stef van den Dungen.

Congratulations to the MAFAD Class of 2015!

Please enjoy the picture report below.

All images by Brankopopovicblog

MAFAD Graduation expo 2014

Dusty Thomas

MAFAD (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design) Graduation 2014

From July 3 -  7,  MAFAD Academy Maastricht is  (location: Herdenkingsplein 12, Maastricht) is hosting the annual graduation exhibition.

Please find below an impression of the highlights from departmenrs of Fashion and Textile design, Jewelry and Product design and Fine Arts.


http://www.abkmaastricht.nl

All images © BRANKOPOPOVICBLOG

About 11 at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2014

Julia Aumann

ABOUT 11, talented 3rd year fashion students MAFAD (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design), were given the opportunity to show their mini collections in the opening at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2014. It is very grateful to encounter such fresh, dynamic, talented and motivating class. I am already looking forward for their graduation show next year at FASHIONCLASH Festival's 7th edition.

They call them selves ABOUT 11. They are a group of 11 young fashion students, eager to meet the world and show their promising work.
 "The main objective of our group is to make clear that it´s about 11 different people; with 11 different point of views, backgrounds, dreams, styles and opinions. By working together as a group and combining our strengths the results are going to be very interesting."

#8 Julia Aumann
#4 Reinder Schmidt
#11 Verena Klein
#3 Maarten Van Mulken
#5 Anna Klinkenberg
#10 Paula Reichert
#9 Carina Schulte
#7 Natalie Barschewski
#6 Mona Steinhaeusser
#2 Rachel Prijs
 #1 Sara Alves Poeira

http://about-11.tumblr.com

If not mentioned otherwise all images are © BRANKOPOPOVICBLOG

MAFAD Graduation show at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2014

Milou van Esch

After absence of two years FASHIONCLASH Festival had the pleasure to feature 2014 fashion design graduates of MAFAD (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design). Four talented girls presented their collections on Saturday June 14, Milou van Esch, Dusty Thomas, Lara Beckmann and Gelena Roizen.

Yves Lennertz 'Maan'

'MAAN' - Graduation project by Yves Lennertz, fresh graphic designer coming from ABKM (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design).

"The moon is not only the romantic bright shining planet in the sky, the moon is in a way a cryptical object that is surrounded by innumerable myths an melancholic feelings. I will try to take you on a mystical journey which captures the whole universe in one wooden box."

*source Yves Lennertz

http://helloyves.tumblr.com/