Steven Haulenbeek is an American artist and designer based in Chicago. His work is produced through rigorous material and process experimentation, resulting in unique objects and furniture.
Originally from Kalamazoo, he attended Hope College, Michigan, where he received a bachelor’s degree in drawing and sculpture. Living and working in the Holland/Grand Rapids area, a hotbed of American design and furniture manufacturing became a powerful influence. Whilst developing as a sculptor, he fell in love with mid-century designers like Charles and Ray Eames’, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen and Harry Bertoia.
In 2010 he began his independent practice, Steven Haulenbeek Design Concepts.
In 2011 he developed his first Ice-Cast Bronze objects formed by pouring wax patterns for bronze casting directly into the relentless Chicago winter ice. In 2016 he launched the Resin-Bonded Sand series, another unique fabrication process that renders foundry sand into otherworldly sculptural furniture and objects. Though his work runs the gamut of scale, material and process, they all exhibit a similar approach to material and aesthetic austerity through a hands-on, experimental prototyping style.
After graduating from the Masters of Designed Objects program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006,
he went on to work as an industrial designer for Atlanta based Formation Design Group and as furniture designer at Chicago based Holly Hunt Enterprises. He has taught at his alma mater and continues to work out of Chicago today.
Steven Haulenbeek has been the recipient of several honorable mentions and awards,
including the 2016 American Design Honoree at the Wanted Design Fair during New York Design Week and has been featured in New York Times T Magazine as one of the most exciting emerging American designers (2015) as well as Wallpaper Magazine, Wall Street Journal and Surface Magazine. Haulenbeek has exhibited extensively internationally and is represented by Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
Select Clients
Carpenters Workshop Gallery
Hvíla Editions
Holly Hunt
Sonos
San Pellegrino
Ace Hotel
Alcantara
Italamp
Leucos
