Maria Tyakina is a Rotterdam-based designer creating sculptural, collectible furniture and objects that explore the emotional and material narratives of everyday life. Her work frequently delves into themes such as time, gravity, ritual, and landscape. It is shaped by the interplay between stillness and movement, pressure and support, utility and emotion. Working with materials like wood, stone, metal, and glass, Tyakina bends traditionally rigid forms into fluid gestures, guided by the unique character of each material. She gravitates toward materials that age with grace, embracing the natural transformations that occur over time as part of the object’s ongoing story. Tyakina’s practice challenges conventional notions of construction, inviting storytelling through abstraction and emotion. Her pieces often feel both familiar and open to interpretation. Originally from Russia, Maria Tyakina graduated in 2016 from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Netherlands, where she studied Interior Architecture and Furniture Design. She later founded her own studio. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Milan Design Week (IT), Rotterdam Design Biennale (NL), Collectible Fair (BE), and Objects with Narratives Gallery (BE). Her designs have been featured in numerous publications such as Architectural Digest, Elle Decoration, Domino, Financial Times – How To Spend It, De Volkskrant, and L’Officiel.