Yesterday I visited OBJECT. Every year, the exhibition takes place in an iconic building in or around Rotterdam. The designers are present for a personal meet and greet, and some also sell their work on-site. The 2026 edition will be held in the former public library. More than 125 designers presented their work across four floors, from design labels to limited editions and one-offs from established and upcoming designers.
Just as I visit various fairs and festivals, designers often hop from one fair to the next. I often encounter work I’ve seen before, but luckily, I’m always surprised by new faces and unexpected designs. OBJECT brings together different design disciplines, with something for everyone to discover. Today, I’ll show you my favorites!
OBJECT – February 6th – 8th 2026
Centrale Bibliotheek Rotterdam
Hoogstraat 110, 3011 MA Rotterdam
More info: Object
Dirk Vaessen – Quiet
Dirk Vaessens creates expressive interior objects that blur the line between art, fashion, and design. His bold pieces translate the theatrical language of his wearable work originally developed for performances, dance, and video into sculptural objects for the interior. Masks, bags, garments, and shoes inform his distinctive abstract aesthetic, rooted in an exploration of the human body.
A graduate of the London College of Fashion (UAL), where he completed a Master’s in Footwear with distinction, Vaessens gained international attention when his graduation collection went viral during London Fashion Week. With a background in Product Design from ArtEZ and early training in shoemaking at Sint Lucas, His challenges gender stereotypes, encouraging people to break free from labels and embrace fluid identities.
At Object, next to an earlier collection of leather wall pieces, Dirk showed his latest work: Quiet , which brings together photography, craftsmanship and material research, translating a moment of release into a quiet, tactile presence. Two intimate works exploring the body’s rhythms. Quiet Exhale captures a controlled release after tension, while Quiet Inhale marks the moment before movement. Printed on rigid panels and framed in hand-painted leather.
Website: Dirk Vaessen
Instagram: Dirk Vaessen
Lendrik Duns
Lendrik Duns is a Dutch designer and maker whose practice combines a passion for craftsmanship with a fascination for material possibilities. Trained at HKU, he develops a personal style that emphasizes form, aesthetics, and precision, translating it across a wide range of materials with a current focus on metal. His work balances minimalist intention with functional connection, creating objects that are both sculptural and usable.
At OBJECT he presented Brutaal Afgeleid (“Brutally Distracted”), a collection of aluminium lights and seating objects inspired by Brutalist architecture. The works combine minimalist forms with careful craftsmanship, using openings and shadows to create subtle effects of light and presence.
I would have liked to have lingered longer on his work because I found it truly beautiful. Unfortunately, the photos don’t really show the beautiful aluminum surface of the objects, as the light in the library wasn’t ideal for taking good photos. Looking back, I realize I might miss an aluminum object in my own interior, although I think my Rimowa suitcase as a bedside table is a great find. But who knows, maybe it’ll interrupt the abundance of dark wood and dark metal in a good way.
Website: Lendrik Duns
Instagram: Lendrik Duns
Erco Lai
Erco Lai is an industrial designer and founder of Ercoffice, a studio that works with digital craft, nature-based technology, and circular materials. Drawing from his East Asian cultural background and the Five Elements Theory, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, Erco explores how humans, the environment, and the earth interact in an interconnected system. His work combines traditional craftsmanship with digital fabrication, experimenting with alternative materials and techniques such as 3D-printed ceramics and sheet metal folding.
At Object, Erco presented a series of designs created within this framework. The collection emphasizes material experimentation, circularity, and the relationship between craft, technology, and nature. Each piece is shaped according to the properties of its material, with attention to balance between control and spontaneity in the process.
Website: Ercoffice
Instagram: Erco Lai / ercoffice
Frederick Rombach – Reroglass
Rero creates out of waste glass, research products, sculpture and outreach glass projects from a durable, eco friendly perspective.
I loved how after first making the glasses and showing them in these carts on aluminium sheets, he decided to also make the sheets out of glass
Website: Rero Glass
Instagram: Rero Glass
Francisca Snel
Francisca Snel is a designer working with a range of materials, with glass and porcelain remaining a constant throughout her practice. Her early experiences with glass include neon blowing during an internship in her first semester at the Willem de Kooning Academy, influenced by her father, who worked in stained glass.
At Object Rotterdam, she presented ‘Glashelder’ (Crystal Clear), a series of hand blown glass objects displayed outdoors for the first time. The works explore the transparency of glass and its transformation in light, capturing a copper cleaning sponge in a solid form while allowing it to remain visible. Sunlight creates a rich interplay of colors between the glass and copper, forming a central aspect of the series.
Website: Francisca Snel
Instagram: Francisca Snel
We’ve seen lamps in
Said Belhadj – Raphia
We’ve seen lamps in raffia before, but I thought this new design by Said Belhadj looks very delicate and so well woven. I particularly liked the part that goes around the light bulb; I personally haven’t seen this before.
Raphia is a footwear label by Said Belhadj. The brand creates handcrafted raffia shoes that combine traditional craftsmanship from Morocco with contemporary European design. Each pair is hand stitched by artisans near Essaouira and finished by shoemakers in the Netherlands, connecting two places and working cultures in a single product.
Website: Raphia
Instagram: Raphia
images ©vosgesparis
This article is part of The Collectible Edit
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Het bericht OBJECT Rotterdam 2026 verscheen eerst op vosgesparis.