Kranen Gille

Jos Kranen and Johannes Gille met at Design Academy Eindhoven, lost touch for a few years, then bumped into each other again in 2006. The reunion produced a burst of energy—and an entire dining room. Their “Von Trapp” installation, shown in Milan the following spring, mixed Tyrolean folk motifs with a slightly oddball sense of humor and put the duo on the map. Since then the studio has slipped back and forth between one-off gallery pieces and objects made for everyday use. Most projects begin as quick sketches on whatever paper is handy, followed by rough cardboard or scrap-metal models. Only when the idea holds up in the real world does it move into CAD and production. It’s a process that keeps the work direct, a little unruly, and always tied to material craft rather than digital polish.