Design Map · Eindhoven
You Like to Live in the City, I Like to Live in My Head
Graduation project by Abel Overdijk at Design Academy Eindhoven, 2026. Shown during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven on Design Map, location F5.
A small, handcrafted universe gives shape to Abel Overdijk’s inner world. Each piece begins without a plan. He splits large blocks of oak, responds to accidental shapes and adds elements only when they feel right. This intuitive, hands-on approach stems from a childhood spent in a farmhouse, always surrounded by timber and craft. Expressing himself through making became a natural way to understand both himself and his thoughts.
Abel works with simple tools and found materials to create chairs, lamps, cabinets and sculptural objects. The pieces are partly burned, chemically weathered and feature hand-made hardware. They also show the designer's humorous side, such as a lamp that rings a bell or switches on with the turn of a key. Imperfections are welcomed because they give each object personality and a sense of having grown into itself. Together the works act as ambassadors of this inner universe. They invite viewers into a space shaped by instinct, playful imagination and the physical act of making.