Martin Visser (1922 - 2009)

Dutch designer and art collector

A visionary with an exceptional eye for good design, Martin Visser was a self taught designer and became one of the most famous designers in Dutch history. His incredible talent in design was discovered early on in his career in the 1950s and was paramount to the development of the design industry. A combination of practicality, simplicity and originality, his designs are timeless icons and are easily identifiable despite their minimalist forms; many of them remain in production today. His signature use of steel tubings gave his works an industrial look, reflecting the post-war climate in Europe. Additionally, Visser was a renowned art collector whose enormous collection included works by Anselm Kiefer, Keith Haring, Lucio Fontana, Carl Andre and Sol Lewitt etc. Part of the collection is now housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum.

Collections:

Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

COLLECT’S PICK: 

Martin Visser and Jos Manders, Storage Desk Unit