Eindhoven (The Netherlands)
Whether designing furniture, domestic objects or the arrangement
of an
entire living room, house or office, designer group Yksi's style always
remains sober and demure, without too much exuberance or abundance of
decoration. Their style is characterised by skillful and sound details
that
result in high quality and user-friendly products and environments. The
design is always surprising and fresh - brought on by a permanent quest
for
materials, forms and new combinations - but also timeless.
Yksi consists of Leonne Cuppen, Kees Heurkens en Eduard
Sweep, gradutes of
the Design Academy Eindhoven. Their cooperation that spans 15 years by
now,
has made them a tightly-knit team.
In the past two years Yksi has combined designing on commission
with
building up an interesting and innovative collection of furniture,
accessories and other objects. This collection consists of products inspired
by custom-made objects for projects, plus entirely new designs like the
Yksit line of furniture that won several prizes and part of which is in
production already.
Exclusively for the presentation here in Milan Yksi presents
a museum
formation entitled 1 meter session, wherein a number of products have
been
transformed to a width of 1 meter. A barstool that seats three people,
the
Yksit chair as a 1 meter settee and a set of two Yksit dinners clustered
together combine to create an unsettling effect.
The Yksi-team are on the move all the time to develop
their skills and
search for new inspiration. For instance by participating in or visiting
trade fairs and expos at home and abroad, travelling, teaching at art
schools, participating in selection committees and organising events,
seminars and expositions.
And of course there is Gallery Yksi, which has become
a well-known platform
for new developments in applied arts in the Netherlands. More than five
hundred designers, unknown or famous, have presented themselves here since
1991.