Narrative framework & strategic publication

Co-evolution crafted

Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk were looking for a clear tool to consolidate their position within the international design landscape. Their joint practice is strong and respected, yet articulating it as a unified force without diluting their individual languages remained a challenge. Co-evolution emerges from that search for convergence: a publication that reflects the meeting point between Kiki’s refined sensibility (polished materials, gold finishes, precise detailing) and Joost’s technical roughness, visible in the tactile centre of the book, the raw cuts and the more architectural edges.

Spines of two Co-evolution books in black with gold lettering, with a face on the covers

Two Co-evolution books, one for Kiki van Eijk and one for Joost van Bleiswijk, with face portraits on the covers

POSITIONING A JOINT PRACTICE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DESIGN ARENA

In collaboration with Kiki van Eijk, Joost van Bleiswijk and Lidewij Edelkoort, we worked on defining a narrative framework capable of holding that duality and turning it into a strategic asset. The result was “co-evolution”: two creative languages that evolve in parallel, converge, and amplify one another.

The publication grows out of this framework. Its structure (two halves meeting at the centre) materialises the relationship between their practices. The mix of refined elements and raw edges reinforces the conceptual reading: a high-level practice rooted in experimentation and craft.

More than a book, the project operates as a strategic presentation tool: a clear, tangible object designed to position them in front of collectors, institutions, and the global design ecosystem.

Open book on a concrete surface showing a brass trumpet-like object and a green and blue glass vase

Book spread with a faceted brass lantern holding a candle and a gold page with the text Only in the workshop do I have complete freedom

Book spread with two black and white close-ups of wooden architectural models

Book spreads with a red openwork stool, a gold glass-domed object and an ornate gold vase

Book spread with stacked striped and patterned textiles beside a gold page with the quote I don't much care where as long as I get somewhere

Book spread with photos of furniture: a table, a chair with a tall back and a floor lamp with a green shade

Cover of the Kiki van Eijk Co-evolution book with a face portrait, gold lettering and red lips

These differences are graphically represented, through the use of low and high-end materials in the book finishing. The cover is a combination of gold foiling contrasted with cardboard, while the inside pages have stark white pages and brown wrapping paper. With a structured inside, the cover displays a looseness with the artists shown with swapped face masks. The book deservedly won the best-designed book prize. This publication shows two subjects coming together to form a wholesome other, a contemporary version of the adage by Aristotle - The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts.

Cover of the Joost van Bleiswijk Co-evolution book with a face portrait and gold lettering

Open book on kraft paper with quotes about Joost and Kiki, one upside down, printed in serif type

Kraft paper book spread with a group photo of people in dark workwear and masks, and questions in bold black type

Credits

client: NAi Publishers / book concept & design: Mariola Lopez Mariño / publisher : Lecturis / photography: several authors / text: Jeroen Junte