The professional evolution of Huub Ubbens, Dutch designer based in Montpellier France, is rich of important experiences and collaborations, all characterized by his passionate dedication to each task. The projects of Huub Ubbens are based on in-depth researches on the related topic and influenced by his eclectic interests, ranging from arts to philosophy, from literature to anthropology. The following profile and curriculum provide further aspects on these characteristics of Huub Ubbens and his creativity.

Light culture
“Reading Junichiro Tanizaki you understand that light can be very silent and looking at a Vermeer painting or an architecture by Luis Barragan I get that same impression. The light of Vermeer is also very “slow”. Light, although the quickest physical element known, is about slowness and silence and also about the beauty of darkness. It’s about rhythm too, I guess. My light research is into the culture of light. Light culture, being based on climate, geographical aspects and architecture is very different in every country, but at the same time one can discover intra cultural light archetypes. It is somehow very personal too and mostly people aren't aware that they have a specific light culture. Light is so common and omnipresent that generally we don’t pay much attention to it.”
Over the years Huub Ubbens specialises in light, starting from his first sunlight researches in Naples and his Artemide art-direction. Actually he is working in different light fields, from light culture research for 3M-lighting, to the design of fixtures for international lighting companies and from 'Appocundria', a research on the reflections in windows created by the sun, to art-installations applying sunlight, and installations with artificial light like the Medialuna project and the Sottovoce installation.

Chairs
“Designing chairs permits me to dive into and explore the archaic world and create a connection with my own contemporary reality. It is a rather “vertical research” and I think, as a designer, it is the main thing I am interested in: creating this connection with our collective memory and the antique world. If one looks at the Egyptian chairs from 4000 or more years ago, they are surprisingly contemporary. The Cadeira chair from Alvaro Siza or the Chinotto by Caccia Dominioni are almost “Egyptian”, both beautiful timeless wooden sculptures with amazing proportions and archaic references, but still contemporary. Designing pieces like this is extremely difficult. Conceiving chairs is a complex sculptural and cultural research and so a beautiful challenge. The chair is the tool by excellence which tells the cultural history of man.”
Following his passion, Huub Ubbens conceives Kadrega for the company Montina, a small chair entirely made of wood and of great sculptural beauty. It is an object that researches this intrinsic connection with the antique world.

Teaching
“Regarding my love for teaching I like to think about two beautiful quotes by Louis Kahn: “A good question is always greater than the most brilliant answer,” and “The right thing done badly is always greater than the wrong thing well done”.”
Huub's typical conceptual project approach, mixes with his passion to transmit to the younger generations and his skill in the field of light-culture made him both a full teacher at the SPD design school of Milan as well as a visiting professor both at design schools in Italy and abroad. Since Huub collaborates with various design schools in Italy, France, Brazil and Russia.

Art direction
“Art direction is a very challenging work as it requests a vivid dialogue with different types of professionals, coming both from the marketing and research and development department as well as from outside the company, meaning designers. It is a responsible job which needs assertiveness, analytic capabilities, a lot of passion and a little of madness as well.”
From 1997 to 2004, Huub Ubbens works as the head of the design department for the Milan based lighting company Artemide. From 2001 to 2007 he is art-director of the Italian company Danese-Milano.

General Profile
Born in the Netherlands in October 1964, Huub Ubbens graduated at the Rietveld Academy of Art in Amsterdam in 1992. In 1991 he collaborated with the studio Cappelli&Ranzo in Naples. In 1993 he moved to Milan where he collaborated with different designers such as Marco Ferreri, Andrea Branzi and Claudio La Viola. From 1997 to 2004 he worked for the company Artemide as the head of the design department. From 2001 to 2007 he was the art director of Danese-Milano.

In 2005 he started up his own design studio in Milan. Huub collaborates with various companies such as Artemide, 3M, Danese-Milano, Montina, Malofancon, Gheos-Wappe, BBB-Bonacina, Hema, Forsale Comunication, Alessi, Escudama, Arte&Cuoio, Monumedia and Comune di Milano
He teaches and guides workshops at various design schools in Italy, France, Brazil and Russia.: SPD Scuola Politecnica di Design, Milan, University of Architecture, Naples; University of Architecture, Milan; Sustentare, Sao Paolo (BR); EID design school, Toulon (FR); University “la Sapienza”, Rome; Artfuture, S. Petersburg (RU).
In the 2010 he moves to Montpellier, France.