Kai van der Puij

Architect and interior designer Kai van der Puij is FCINY’s artist-in-residence in November and December 2016. Van der Puij’s vast resumé comprises awarded interior design concepts, concrete structures as well as furniture design. In addition to his work for renowned architecture offices, van der Puij has been running his own design studio since 2005.         

During the past few years van der Puij has been experimenting with light as his medium, often collaborating with designer Timo Ripatti. The twosome’s proposal for Winter War Memorial in Helsinki, Finland consists of large-scale solid glass pillars that reflect sunlight and create fluctuating spectrum to their surroundings, changing as the Sun moves.

In 2015 the duo participated in light festival Lux Helsinki with an exhibition named 299 792 458 m/s, for which they created five works exploring the essence of light and its movement. Made of an optical fibre spun by an electric motor, its speed adjusted by a frequency converter, van der Puij's 11.5 Hz is a study on shapes and the hypnotic afterimages created by turning an illuminated skipping rope.

During his time in New York, van der Puij is going to explore light works by James Turrell and Leo Villareal among others. He also wishes to expand his own working methods by creating new mock-ups and sketches based on his experiences in the city.

http://kaivanderpuij.com