Founded in 2006 by Kuniko Maeda (born in 1976 in Tokyo) and Mario Minale (born in 1973 in Naples, Italy), Studio Minale Maeda is a design firm based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The studio is interested in the effects of consumerism and design’s potential to improve quality of life, and their work reveals an ongoing awareness of the possibilities of both mass-production and skilled craftsmanship.
Maeda studied Science of Design at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, graduating in 1999. The Italian born, German-raised Minale studied Industrial Design at the University of Wuppertal, graduating in 2001. The pair met at the Design Academy Eindhoven, where they both earned their IM Master degrees in 2004: their studio was opened shortly after. Since that time, they’ve collaborated with a variety of companies and craftsmen, from the likes of Droog and Skitsch to traditional weavers and upholsterers in Italy and porcelain crafters in Japan.
Studio Minale Maeda’s work has been exhibited in galleries and fairs across the globe, including Droog Amsterdam and New York, Fuorisalone in Milan, and Tools Galerie in Paris. Their work is included in the permanent collections of some of the world’s most esteemed institutions, including Museum für Angewandte Kunst (MAK) in Vienna and Centraal Museum Utrecht in The Netherlands.
