Chris Koens

Chris Koens is a Dutch designer whose practice spans product design, autonomous work, and collaborative projects. His work is characterized by a playful and exploratory approach, driven by curiosity, intuition, and a strong sense of narrative. Operating between design and art, he develops objects that balance functionality with imagination and personal expression.

Alongside his independent practice, Koens collaborates with Ramon Middelkoop under the name Koens & Middelkoop Design, creating work for a range of clients. He is also the founder and co-designer of Brikkon, a brand focused on sustainable wooden toys, and Huckleberry, a product line developed with Kikkerland that encourages outdoor exploration. In parallel to his studio work, Koens has been active in education, teaching at the Design Academy Eindhoven and contributing as a guest lecturer at the Willem de Kooning Academy.

Central to Koens’ practice is a hands-on approach to making. His work often begins with existing objects or familiar forms, which he reinterprets through process and transformation. This method allows for a balance between recognition and abstraction, where objects shift from their original context into new, imaginative forms.

Creatures

In the Creatures series, Koens works with wooden animal sculptures, drawing inspiration from objects that evoke memories of travel and personal history. By reworking these existing forms, he creates new sculptural beings that move away from representation toward abstraction.

Through carving, reshaping, and altering the surface, the original objects are transformed into figures where movement and posture suggest life without defining it. These works retain a connection to their source material while opening up new interpretations, functioning as a form of reinvention or continuation.

Rather than referencing specific places or cultures, the Creatures exist within an imagined world. They occupy familiar spaces, yet introduce a sense of ambiguity and play, inviting the viewer to engage with them as both objects and characters. This series reflects Koens’ broader interest in storytelling, transformation, and the potential of material to shift meaning.

Education

• Design Academy Eindhoven