Oskar is born in Banff, Canada.
Sophie is born in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
MAGAZINE · INTERVIEW
OS ∆ OOS
OS ∆ OOS is the Eindhoven-based design studio of Oskar Peet and Sophie Mensen, whose practice spans collectible furniture, lighting, objects, and interiors. Guided by concept and material exploration, the duo creates sculptural works that balance experimentation, functionality, and refined craftsmanship. Combining industrial production with traditional handcraft, OS ∆ OOS develops objects that celebrate innovation, materiality, and timeless design. Their work reflects a thoughtful dialogue between form, process, and everyday use.
Let's know more about
Interview
Where were you born and where are you from?
What is your first memory connected to the art world?
S: When I go back to my earliest memory, I remember that I was very impressed by the work of Brancusi in his reconstructed atelier next to the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Since I was little, I have been visiting loads of museums, cathedrals, and other historical architecturally important buildings with my family.
Have you always worked in the art/design field?
S: Yes.
What led you to design creation?
S: I was always very inspired by art, any kind of art and material, from painting to sculptural arts, and felt the desire to work in this field. But I knew that there was no pure artist in me who could solely create purely artistic expressions; I needed to have boundaries, restrictions, and somehow a reason to make an object. I wanted to create something that had a reference to the human body and had a (somewhat practical) function was more logical to me. That made me decide to study at the Design Academy Eindhoven instead of an Art School.
How would you describe your creative process and its influences?
The creative process itself usually goes the same way with every piece; sometimes it is faster than other times, depending on the starting point of the project. Usually we start working on the concept, and Oskar and I question each other a lot, which helps us to create a clear starting point. Alongside, we start sketching or researching a technique or material that we are fascinated by. Since most of our objects are not entirely made inside our own studio, we try to get in touch with a company that can produce the object or part of the object we have in mind. Production techniques and possibilities can influence the design since we often ask companies to do something that they normally don’t do, and most of the times and interesting collaboration starts.
Could you describe a typical day of your work?
What we like most is that no day is the same. We can play with colours all day for a new interior project or sit behind the computer drawing new ideas from sketches into 3d and the other day we are on the road visiting manufacturing companies, or we are busy with the production of orders in our workshop… so it is very diverse 😉
Why did you choose the specific materials you work with?
Our curiosity drives us to a lot of different materials. Either the material properties or possible techniques that can be applied to the material or visual characteristics. This leads to a lot of different objects made from marble, aluminium, glass, steel, textiles, etc.
What are the technical particularities of your creations?
The objects are often partly industrially fabricated, combined with craftsmanship and handwork.
What advice could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works?
Create pieces with your own signature.
If your works had to belong to a design movement, how would you define it?
Contemporary design.
What designers and artists have influenced you?
Not directly a typical designer or person. Perhaps our teachers and education have influenced the way we work the most.
What contemporary designers do you appreciate?
Dieter Rahms, Hella Jongerius, Bourroullec, Aldo Bakker, Ettore Sottsass.
What contemporary artists, in any kind of art, have you been inspired by?
James Turrell, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra, Olafur Elliason, Gerrit Rietveld, Anish Kapoor.
If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be?
Monumental.
“I needed to have boundaries, restrictions, and somehow a reason to make an object.”
The Questionnaire
The Questions
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A moment free of obligations while being and enjoying a very green and sunny environment.
What is your greatest fear?
Being buried alive.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Procrastination
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
To treat others with disrespect.
Which living person do you most admire?
People driven to do something good with their lives.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Red wine.
What is your current state of mind?
Distracted.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Holiness.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Adventurous.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Warmth.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
‘Ja’ which means yes in Dutch.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Patience.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Be more decisive.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Carving out a career of what I love to do.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A bird, and see the environment from a birds perspective.
Where would you most like to live?
A place where I wake up in the morning and directly enjoy a beautiful view.
What is your most treasured possession?
My health.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Living in fear.
What is your favorite occupation?
Enjoying a glass of red wine at the end of the day while reflecting upon all the things that happened that day.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Being impatient.
What do you most value in your friends?
Laughing and crying together. Sharing the good and the more difficult times together.
Who are your favorite writers?
Hanya Yanagihara, Griet op de Beeck.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Don’t know.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Really no idea. History interests me but never thought about identifying myself with a historical figure.
Who are your heroes in real life?
I do not have a heroes.
What are your favorite names?
Sophia.
What is it that you most dislike?
Being impatient.
What is your greatest regret?
Having regrets.
How would you like to die?
In my sleep.
What is your motto?
Live in the moment, at least try to ;)
“Production techniques and possibilities can influence the design, since we often ask companies to do something that they normally don’t do.”
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