Merel Karhof

___ Merel Karhof, born in the Netherlands in 1978, currently lives and works in London. Throughout her life, Karhof has lived in many different European countries. According to her, travelling has given her the opportunity to sharpen her curiosity, as well as discover local manufacturers. Furthermore, travelling continues to inspire her to make products that create a dialogue with the surroundings.

By means of her designs, Karhof aims to reveal the unnoticed and create a certain awareness of the obvious things surrounding us. Examples of this are the variable colour of the water in Venice, or the urban wind, which she uses as an energy source to knit scarves. The production process is strongly emphasised within the work of Karhof. In her research-based way of working, she develops her own tools and products that visualise her studies.

Karhof’s work has been presented in various exhibitions, among others, Bradwolff Projects (Amsterdam), Object (Rotterdam), London Design Festival 2010 (London), Ventura Lambrate 2010 (Milan) and Venice. In 2011, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (USA) adopted the work of Karhof as part of their permanent collection.