Born in Rotterdam in 1986, Rick Tegelaar is a Dutch designer based in Arnhem. His practice combines material research, engineering and a refined sense of form. As a child, Tegelaar spent much of his time dismantling broken appliances and machines in the family garage. This early fascination with how things work led him first to study engineering and later to Product Design at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. He graduated in 2011 with Meshmatics, a self-developed technique for shaping wire mesh.
Rick Tegelaar works from the premise that overlooked materials often contain unrealised potential. Wire mesh, waste wood and industrial components are reconsidered through new tools and manufacturing processes. Instead of accepting the standard way a material is used, he studies its behaviour and builds the machinery needed to work with it differently. Technical development and aesthetic decision-making happen together. A process is successful only when it produces both structural intelligence and visual clarity.
Meshmatics began with chicken wire, a material generally associated with construction and utility. Tegelaar developed custom tools that could stretch and form the mesh into precise, lightweight volumes. The technique became the basis for the Meshmatics Chandelier, later produced by Moooi. In the Filigree Floorlamp, also developed with Moooi, engineering is used to create a delicate, almost weightless presence. These works demonstrate how industrial logic can lead to forms that are technically rigorous and visually restrained.
Tegelaar's studio operates across autonomous research, collectible design and commissioned development. His team collaborates with research and design departments in fashion, retail, interior and product design, translating experimental techniques into applications that can function at different scales. Circularity is approached through material value rather than surface-level messaging. By extending the possibilities of undervalued matter, Tegelaar asks how design can produce less waste and more meaning.
Across lighting, furniture and sculptural objects, Rick Tegelaar balances curiosity with precision. His designs retain the evidence of their technical invention while remaining calm and intuitive in use. NewHouse Gallery presents selected work by Rick Tegelaar in Amsterdam. Browse available works by Rick Tegelaar and explore his exhibition history.