In 2009, at the invitation of Thomas Eyck and the Zuiderzeemuseum, Christien Meindertsma began work on the Flax Project. She developed several products, including a tablecloth and napkins, made from Dutch flax.
For the series, Meindertsma made exclusive use of sustainable Dutch flax. She purchased the entire harvest of a Dutch flax farmer with the aim of exploring how flax products might be more locally produced. Central to the project was the craft of rope making. She designed lights, an ottoman and a rug based on flax fibre rope. The fascinating process of flax growing and selling led to further works and became part of a bigger research project on the possibilities of flax. A tablecloth and napkins were the result of this larger project.
After graduating from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2003, Meindertsma (Utrecht, 1980) started her own design label, Flocks. Her projects Checked Baggage (2003), Urchin Poufs and Pig 05049 (2008) put her on the international design map. Meindertsma is interested in the origin of materials and techniques. Her work is included in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Vitra Design Museum, MoMA New York and the TextielMuseum.
