Pia Maria Raeder

Pia Maria Raeder is dedicated to expressing her unique vision of nature by transposing its aesthetic wonders into sculptural works. Inspired by organic structures, her practice invites emotional and tactile engagement, giving rise to vibrant and unexpected pieces that resonate with the viewer. Her work has received international acclaim and is part of the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France. 

 

Pia Maria Raeder has established herself on the contemporary art scene with her ‘Sea Anemone’ collection, which evokes the beauty of the ocean floor. Each sculpture is composed of thousands of beechwood rods, meticulously arranged by hand, one by one. The wood, thus transformed into undulating forms, acquires a new sense of freedom. A breath of life seems to animate these organic creations, as if nature itself were felt and made manifest within them. “In my work with beech rods, I relish the challenge of overcoming the material’s inherent contradictions. Natural beech rods are straight, but when combined at varying heights, they take on a new form, resembling a wave with shadowy reflections. The application of lacquer to the densely arranged rods transforms the wood and accentuates its movements.” 

 

Her exploration of biomorphism continued with ‘Stardust’, a collection dedicated to the sensory evocation of a star-filled sky. “All living organisms are made of this stardust that has travelled across the universe for billions of years. I wanted to offer my own interpretation of this natural phenomenon.” To create the effect of diamond dust dancing in the night, Pia Maria Raeder turned to liquid silver, which reflects the widest possible spectrum of light. Each work, composed of thousands of beechwood half-pearls, is transformed through a genuine silver-based metallization process to reveal a stellar landscape with shimmering radiance. This exploration was further developed with ‘Bronze Stardust’: a series of bronze seats and tables conceived as functional creatures for both indoor and outdoor use. 

 

In 2020, a ‘Sea Anemone’ mirror entered the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France. In 2021, Pia Maria Raeder was among twelve international women artists selected by the House of Dior to reimagine the iconic ‘Miss Dior’ bottle. Her sculptures were subsequently exhibited at the Château de la Colle Noire, Christian Dior’s historic residence in the south of France, and became part of Dior’s traveling art and design exhibitions. In 2024-2025, three of her works were featured in the exhibition ‘Eccentric: Aesthetic of Freedom’ at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, Germany. In 2025, ELLE magazine is presenting her work in the traveling exhibition marking its 80^th anniversary, from Paris to Osaka, Bangkok, and New York. 

 

Pia Maria Raeder was born in Germany in 1978. With a university degree in political science, she first worked as a television journalist for the RTL Group, hosting a live program dedicated to social and political topics. Since 2014, she has devoted herself to creative experimentation in her Munich studio.