Dining table by Gijs Bakker

Gijs Bakker, born in Amersfoort in 1942 as Gijsbertus Johannes Bakker, was at first active as a jewelry designer but he also designed home accessories, furniture, interiors, public spaces and exhibitions. His work is characterized by a combination of clean lines, spiced with a bit of humor. He worked and works for numerous companies, including Polaroid, Artifort, Droog Design, Castelijn, HEMA, Royal VKB, ENO Studio and recently as creative director for Yii, Taiwan.

Bakker was educated in Amsterdam at the Institute for Arts and Crafts education. He went to Sweden to study because he admired Torun Bülow-Hübe but he quickly returned, disappointed by Scandinavian design and started working for Royal Van Kempen & Begeer, a silver factory producing anything from medals to kitchen utensils.

In school already he met with Emmy Van Leersum and in 1965, a year before they married, they opened up the Workshop for Jewelry together in a wharf basement in Utrecht. They showed their own work there but also jewelry from other Dutch jewelry designers and goldsmiths. From 1968 till 1979 Bakker also had a teaching position at the Academy for Visual Arts & Crafts in Arnhem. In 1984 his partner died and a year later, Bakker started teaching at the Technical University in Delft, the Royal Academy for Visual Arts. Afterwards he would become teacher and even senior lecturer at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, where he stayed for 25 years.

In 1993, Bakker stood at the cradle of Droog Design, a Dutch collective combining designers, products and information. Together with Renny Ramakers, he was the selector and art director of all products within Droog Design until 2009. With a yearly presentation at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, they made a lot of heads turn to Dutch design.

Bakker co-founded Chi ha paura…? (Italian for Who’s afraid of…?) in 1996. With chp…?, the new brand name since 2013, they wanted to make a statement that a piece of jewelry is more than a decorative fashion accessory but that it can be a work of art or a social commentary in it’s own right. Chp…? invites internationally acclaimed designers to create a special piece for the collection.

Gijs Bakker, now aged 82, still travels around the world to give workshops and lectures about his own work, Droog Design, chp…?, Yii /HAN gallery and is frequently asked to be a member of juries. His work is featured in both public and private collections worldwide. In 2018, Bakker received the royal distinction of Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw.

We ship worldwide using trusted transport partners. Shipping costs depend on the item’s size, weight, value, and material. Each item is carefully packed using protective materials and, if needed, custom-made wooden crates. For overseas shipping, we always recommend crating.

Domestic Deliveries: In some areas we offer personal one man delivery at starting rates of 60 euro (Antwerp city and its districts). For other domestic destinations we work with Brenger at their rates, plus packing and handling fee. International Deliveries: We partner with trusted couriers like Magic Movers and Convelio. Once the item leaves our warehouse, the shipper bares full responsibility for any damage that may occur during handling or transport . We can offer shipping with full insurance. We kindly ask that you inspect your items upon delivery. Please check if your order is complete and unharmed. If you notice any issues, let us know right away so we can find a solution for you and any other party involved.

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