Ingo Maurer was born in 1932 on the Island of Reichenau, Lake Constance, Germany. Initially training as a typographer in Germany and in Switzerland, he studied graphic design in Munich from 1954-58 before emigrating to America in 1960 to work as a freelance designer.
In 1963 Maurer returned to Europe and in 1966 he set up the Munich-based design company ‘Design M’, which he later renamed Ingo Maurer GmbH. The first lamp that he designed for the company was the award-winning ‘Bulb’ lamp (1969), which is today included in the Design Collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
Maurer’s designs - including the Lucellino (1992), Mozzkito (1996), Zettel’z 5 (1997) and the Poul Poul (1998) - are well known for their quirky, witty style. And since the eighties he has exhibited at venues across the world, including the Institute Français d'Architecture in Paris, Design à la Villa Medici" in Rome, Vitra Design Museum in Germany and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
His designs have also been used for installations at exhibitions. His YaYaHO light was used for "Lumières Je pense à vous" at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (1986) and one of his lighting systems was used at German exhibition "Design heute - Mass-Stäbe: Formgebung zwischen Industrie und Kunst-Stück" (1988).
Throughout his career he has been recognised for his contributions to design through numerous awards and achievements, such as German magazine Architektur & Wohne’s Designer of the Year (1997), Lucky Strike Designer Award (2000), the Georg Jensen Prize (2002), The Fifth Abitare Il Tempo” prize (2006) and Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany (2010).
He was also awarded "Chevalier des arts et des lettres" by the French Minister of Culture (1986), appointed Royal Designer of Industry by The Royal Society of Arts, London (2005), and received an honorary Doctorate from the Royal College of Art, London (2006).