- Image creation
According to the young French designer Sébastien Baert, empty spaces have as much, if not more, impact than inhabited ones. His sober visualisations radiate emotion, stimulate our imagination and make us dream of more beautiful places.
What this designer lacks in years of life - Baert is only 25 years young when we talk to him about his work - he makes up for in passion. For him, that is a much more important factor for achieving something than age. The visualisations that he creates can truly be called digital works of art and radiate a great deal of emotion. They are anything but cold images, and in a conversation with Baert we discover how he arrived at this special style. 
What experiences make you the designer you are today?
‘I chose studies and work experiences to understand the design profession in a transversal and global way. I studied in Paris, where I began my studies with a degree in product design at ENSAAMA (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'Art), followed by a second degree in space design at the Strate School of Design. During my college years, I gained a lot of experience in design studios, including Samuel Accoceberry Studio and ENOstudio. Six months abroad at the California State University of Long Beach was an amazing experience that allowed me to discover many things and had a strong impact on my studies.’ 
‘3D makes it possible to connect reality and imagination’
How would you describe your work?
‘I try to develop as many spaces as possible that remain anchored in reality, so as not to lose the 'consumer' in overly surreal and extravagant universes. As a designer, my main goal is to convey emotions, tell stories and make people travel. It is important for me to develop poetic physical or virtual spaces that go beyond stereotypes, that oscillate between reality and imagination and that invite to escape, to reflect. These spaces are particularly relevant in the fast-paced and dislocated world we live in today.’ 
Where does this focus of yours on 3d visualisations come from?
‘3D makes it possible to connect reality and imagination. It gives the opportunity to escape by projecting into unknown and unexpected spaces. 3D visualisation also makes it possible to stage products by virtually transporting them in environments created and conceived for them without physical limitations. It opens up a field of possibilities.’
What inspires you or what elements influence your work?
‘I am inspired by what surrounds me on a daily basis, a shape, a detail, a colour, an emotion and I love to reinterpret our physical environment using drawings before giving it another dimension and translating it back into images. I believe that simplicity is the key to success and I fully subscribe to the architectural concept of 'Less is more' by Mies van der Rohe. Empty spaces have as much or more impact than inhabited ones. I attach as much importance to working on the envelope as on the content.’
What else would you like to achieve in your career?
‘My goal is to build a multidisciplinary design studio that combines space design, product design and 3D visualisation. I want to breathe life into this project so that I can really make a living out of my passion and also bring other talented people along on this journey.’
We are honoured to already have been a part of that journey up close and ask the designer some questions so early on in his professional life. What Sébastien Baert has already achieved in such a short time, given his age, is very promising for the future. If you want to learn more about Sébastien Baert, be sure to read our full article in Imagicasa Summer 2021. 
Visualisations by Sébastien Baert