For a solo exhibition at Sfera in Kyoto in 2012, the designers at studio thonik developed a series of woven blankets based on alphabets the studio had previously designed for various clients. The exhibition became a whole new way of showing graphic design in a shop and exhibition space.
An earlier exhibition made the designers rethink the possibilities and challenges of showing graphic design in an exhibition space. For that exhibition, thonik produced an installation of 16 woollen carpets featuring their designs. For the exhibition at Sfera, however, the handmade carpets were too crude. With the woven blankets, Thonik found a way to transform the carpet concept into something more sophisticated.
The design was based on Thonik’s first impression of Sfera, which combines a contemporary atmosphere with timeless craftsmanship. As a motif, the designers chose eight alphabets they had designed for various clients over the previous ten years. In Western tradition, the alphabet is a symbol of ‘everything that can be said’. The result was a new graphic textile series woven exclusively for Sfera.
Thonik experimented with traditional and modern weaving techniques to create strong, graphic designs that would also appeal to the Japanese aesthetic. The double-weave blankets are made from a variety of materials, including mohair and metallic Lurex yarn.
Founded in 1993 by Nikki Gonnissen and Thomas Widdershoven, Amsterdam-based graphic design studio thonik has an impressive array of projects in its portfolio. The studio has worked for the Amsterdam municipality, VPRO broadcasting company, Holland Festival and Venice Biennial of Architecture. Its work has been shown in exhibitions worldwide and is included in various museum collections, including Het Nieuwe Instituut, Centraal Museum Utrecht, Centre Pompidou and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
