Born in the Netherlands in 1978, Heijdens first studied experimental film in Berlin before product design at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Since graduating (Cum Laude) in 2002, his constantly evolving body of work - from 'Moving Wallpaper' (2002) to the '3, Rising Slowly' chandelier for Swarovski (2006), through 'Tree' and 'Lightweeds' - reveals a fascination with cinematic narrative content and poetic exploration of time and place.
Heijdens, now based in London, was the recipient of the René Smeets prize, best graduation project for Design Academy Eindhoven in 2002. His works are in the permanent collections of MoMA, New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, FNAC, Paris, and the Utah Museum of Natural History. Heijdens was also commissioned to design the café for the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam. Among the many exhibitions and projects in which Heijdens has participated, are: Decode, V&A (12/2009), Winzavod, Moscow (8/2009), Design and the Elastic Mind, MoMA New York (2/2008), Hyperlinks at the Art Institute Chicago (2010) and Talk to Me, MoMA New York (2011). His work has been nominated for several awards, including the Design Museum/Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2012 for his project 'Shade' and a Frame Moooi Award 2013 for his project 'Lightweeds' at the Utah Museum of Natural History.
He recently completed a complex commission for Perrier Jouët presented at Design Miami in December 2013. This piece, Phare No.1-9, was inspired by the Art Nouveau heritage of the champagne brand, and was a site specific installation that drew the beauty and constant evolution of nature into the static built environment.
Axelle de Buffévent, Style Director, Perrier-Jouët has said of the project, “Phare No. 1—9 by Simon Heijdens truly takes the Art Nouveau ethos into the 21st Century, and creates a remarkable experience unlike any other. The craftsmanship and vision of Simon, combined with his unique take on expressing the natural world, has resulted in an astounding work of great significance.”