Independent publishing house Zioxla is pleased to announce the release of Living Things, the debut book from German artist B.D. Graft, who was recently commissioned by Virgil Abloh to create designs for Off-White. www.instagram.com/b.d.graft / www.bdgraft.com
In the 64-page softcover book, foliage and fruit play a central role, as does color. “Making art brightens up my day,” Graft explains, “and I’d like to pass that feeling on to the observer.” The book includes key works from Graft’s ongoing series of plants in vases — collages and paintings of gestural foliage emerging from boldly hued vessels — and emphasizes the artist’s playful side.
For example, in an oil pastel titled “Pot Head,” a loosely rendered, fleshy figure has a big blue planter for a head. Graft, an artist whose light, graphic style recalls Matisse’s cutouts mixed with Bauhaus-era design and some Pop Art levity, grew up in Cologne, Germany. In 2011, he moved to Amsterdam, where he still lives and works. Living Things retails for $24, and is available for order on zioxla.com.
The book was made with FSC-certified paper sourced from responsibly managed forests (for every tree cut down, three trees are planted). In addition, for each book sold on the publishing house’s website, one tree is planted.
Book specs: Designed by Affaire
Printed and bound in Barcelona
Softcover
64 pages
5.1 x 8.2 in.
