Dirk Van der Kooij

Dirk Van der Kooij

Dutch designer Dirk Vander Kooij (1983) is best known for his playful extrusions of reclaimed synthetics. Holding the attitude of craftsman/inventor, Dirk marries machine and hand in the fostering of honest material expression.

His time spent at the Design Academy Eindhoven fruited an ambitious endeavor: to apply low-resolution 3D printing in furniture production. The texture of this self-developed process has since become synonymous with his work.

In 2011, the endless chair won acclaim in the form of the Dutch Design Award. The chair set a precedent for the work that would follow: many of Dirk’s designs can be considered vessels intending material showcase and preservation.

As a craftsman, he is attracted to the irrevocable histories and textures possessed by found content. As an inventor, he favours the simplicity of self-evident production.