Frank Tjepkema has worked for Droog Design since 1996

Dutch Design has taken a prominent role on the avant-garde international design stage

tjep is located in the center of Amsterdam. tjep creates shop environments.

Interior design, product design, furniture design, event design and jewellery design are the main focus.
Interieur architectuur, product vormgeving, meubel ontwerpen, sieraden ontwerpen vormen de voornaamste activiteiten.

Jewellery, furniture and product designs by Frank Tjepkema are part of the permanent collections of
the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Centraal Museum in Utrecht and Museum't Kruithuis in Den Bosch.

Frank Tjepkema has been nominated for the Rotterdam Design Prijs 2003 and 2002

Industriele vormgeving, interieur vormgeving, event vormgeving

Bols KesselsKramer YD&I Present Time Rado Hoogstad Architecten Diesel Ben
Do Stroom Nike Oilily Droog Design Chi Ha Paura Levis Red Issey Miyake Kunst en Bedrijf
O'Neill Heineken Blueberry Frog Lowlands Randstad Museum Kruithuis Hoegaarden British Airways

Signature vase collection consists of the signatures of Marti Guixe, Marcel Wanders, The Bouroullec Brothers, Mendini, Andrea Branzi and Marc Newson

Frank Tjepkema (1970 Geneva) is a Dutch designer based in Amsterdam. After studying at the Technical University of Delft for two years, he graduated (cum laude) in 1996 from the Design Academy in Eindhoven. Following this he obtained a MA degree from the Sandberg Instituut Amsterdam in 1998. Frank Tjepkema developed a strong interest in brand related design issues which lead him to working on a variety of projects for well known brands such as Heineken, Diesel, Oilily, Ben, Levis, Issey Miyake, Do. In every project his ambition is to combine conceptual innovative ideas with functional intelligence and visual elegance. Only then one can achieve the highest level of quality in design. His way of working attracted clients such as the notorious advertisement agency: KesselsKramer. In 2000 he worked for Philips Design as strategic consultant. Frank Tjepkema is twice nominated for the Rotterdam Design Awards in 2001 and 2003. Other activities include teaching at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and the Gerrit Rietveld academie in Amsterdam and writing a column in Vormberichten. Since February 2002 Frank Tjepkema is head of the design department at the Gerrit Rietveld academie in Amsterdam.

tjep is specialist in combining communication an 3D design, for example in retail design.

www.dezeen.com

Heineken The City

Heineken Brand Store

Heineken commissioned Tjep. to design a new retail concept covering six houses in the center of Amsterdam. More information about Tjep.'s largest project to date coming up soon. Due to open on the 4th of July!

Pluk

Brand new brand! Pluk will be launched the 3rd of June in Haarlem, Netherlands. Tjep. was asked to develop the identity and interior of this super fresh, super healthy food and juice formula.

Praq II

After initial overwhelming success, restaurant Praq is now opening up a second, larger and more beautiful location. This new restaurant will open on April the 12th in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. In the meanwhile Praq III may well be on it's way!

Fabbrica opens

Tjep. has designed the identity and interior of this new Italian restaurant in Rotterdam. Fabbrica is located in a beautiful warehouse in the harbor.

NAI, The Dutch Living

Room Re-Designed 10 Designers where asked to give a vision on the livingroom. Tjep. presents the House of textures.

Mexico City Design Conference

For their 50th anniversary the Mexico City Iberoamericana University lectures program includes lectures by Gijs Bakker, Max Yoshimoto, Christophe Koch, Bruce Claxton, Jose de la Vega, Frank Tjepkema & Janneke Hooymans.

Article in Volkskrant with wim crouwel

Article confronting the viewpoints of graphic designer and former museum director Wim Crouwel with those of Frank Tjepkema.

Job Cohen

, the mayor of Amsterdam, has been signaled with a Bling Bling at the opening of the foreign affaires of dutch design.

Weblog on www.design.nl

During a 4 week trip from Maine to Florida, Frank Tjepkema kept a Weblog

Foreign affaires of Dutch Design in Amsterdam

An overview of succesfull dutch design over the dutch borders. Tjep. is represented with the British Airways first class lounge and Bling Bling.

tjep becomes Tjep.

In line with our continuous effort to make life great, we have decided to simplify our name from tjep to Tjep.

XXL Chair for Arco

at the MMK Arnhem. For their hundredth anniversary Arco asked 12 designers (a.o. Jurgen Bey, Ineke Hans, Job Smeets and Joris Laarman), to give a vision on the future of furniture.

Koos Andriessen receives ICT Award

Koos Andriessen (former minister of economics) receives the first Amsterdam ICT Award, named after him, from the Deputy Mayor Mark van Der Horst. The award entitled Immaterial Trophy was designed by Frank Tjepkema.

Stedelijk Museum - Lecture & Discussion

In relation to the exhibition Frank Tjepkema and Janneke Hooymans will give a presentation together with Ted Noten.

Salone del Mobile, Milano 2005

New projects Destructive Deco and Bloom Bloom presented by Chi Ha Paura...?

Nest - Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

TAK, Do Break are part of an extensive Dutch design exhibition entitled NEST. The name of the exhibition was inspired by TAK our nest shaped sofa. For more information click here.

Restaurant Praq wins the Stokke Iens Award

Praq wins the Stokke Iens award for the most child friendly restaurant in Holland. Praq was designed by tjep in 2004.

Kunst Cafe - Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam

Discussion in public about the value of art with Olav Velthuis, Marcel Brouwer and Frank Tjepkema, moderated by Sacha Bronwasser. Starts at 19:30 in the museum restaurant. Frank Tjepkema is guest chief editor of the January issue of

dutch magazine Creatie

. The magazine features interviews with Ad Verbrugge and Joris Laarman.

Metropolis magazine covers Praq

Julie Taraska looks into our restaurant concept for in a five page article entitled Parental Rites. Read the article here.

Workshop Gold

Art workshop in collaboration with IMC Weekendschool and the Stedelijk Museum for children of 11 and 12 years of age from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Info: www.smcs.nl. Workshop: here.

Geel metalliek - Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Bling Bling, Love Shield, Family Hero and Bling Bloom are part of an exhibition dedicated to the use of gold in contemporary art and design.

tjep & Design Week

tjep on the cover of Design Week, plus a two page article by Hannah Booth.

Winner of the Dutch Design Awards 2004

tjep win the Dutch Design Awards in the categories interior design with Airco Tree and fashion design with Bling Bling.

Via Milano at the Woonbeurs in Amsterdam

Tak presented at the Amsterdam furniture fair. Visite www.via-milano.nl for more information.

Restaurant Praq is OPEN

Restaurant Praq opens in Ouderkerk a/d Amstel. Frank Tjepkema and Janneke Hooymans designed the interior and the identity. For more information visite www.praq.nl.

Go Slow

Droog presents during the Salone del Mobile 2004, Milan Droog.s 12th presentation in Milan is based on the concept of going slow. In a information environment you can enjoy a moment of rest in the hustle and bustle of Milan during the furniture fair. Senior people flew in to offer you a bite and a drink. Their service is slow but attentive. Renny Ramakers and Gijs Bakker

Airco Tree for British Airways in London

Frank Tjepkema's latest Droog Design project is installed in the first class lounge of British Airways at Heathrow Airport in London.

Salone del Mobile 2004, Salone Satellite

This year we will be presenting our latest products and projects at our stand in the Salone Satellite located at the main fair.

Schmuck 2004, Munchen

Overview of Frank Tjepkema's jewellery works at the prestigious yearly Schmuck exhibition in Munchen. Location: Sonderschau "Schmuck 2004" Halle A2

Natur Ganz Kunst, Hamburg

Artificial Plant, Tulip Vase and Artificial Bloom are part of the exhibition Natur Ganz Kunst at the Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg. The exhibition is an exploration of the influence of nature on contemporary art and design.

Droog Design, Czech Republic

After the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Kunsthal in Rotterdam and the Kulturhuset Museum in Stockholm, Droog Design presents Your Choice during the Czech Designblok. Signature Vases will be on display.

Week of design, Eindhoven

Frank Tjepkema will participate in a masterclass about the evolution of the 'things' led by Cornel Bierens. Located at the Design Academy, free for public, for more information please visitwww.weekvanhetontwerp.nl

Museum Old Treasury, Australia

Tiara project presented in Melbourn. Visite Old Treasury Museum website for more information. See our tiara design here.

Seoul Arts Center, South Korea

A major Droog Design exhibition will take place at the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea. Ten years of Droog Design under the title ïNo design, No style, Droog Design including do break and Artificial Plant.

Kulturhuset Stockholm, Sweden

Your Choice exhibition as presented in Milano 2003 by Droog Design will be exhibited in Stockholm. The signature vase project will be on display.

The Walker Art Center, USA

Strangely Familiar: design and everyday life; exhibition at The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The Do Break vase will be on display.

Sleazenation, UK

"Hoegaarden, the Belgian information beer that tastes good with lemon in it, has brought Frank Tjepkema to Britain with his stunning new installation and exhibition..." Check out the installation here.

Applied Arts Agency, London

Go Dutch is a result of an Applied Arts Agency research trip to Holland. Exhibition includes work by Esther Van Groeningen, Martin Guixe, Ineke Hans, Richard Hutten, Frank Tjepkema, Peter Van Der Jagt, Tord Boontje. The Do Break vase will be on display.

'Bling Bling' added to Oxford dictionary

Hip-hop term joins 'jiggy' and 'whack' asdictionary listing. Click here to check out Frank's Bling Bling.

50/50 project at 100% Design

tjep participates in 50/50, a project initiated by The Famous Studio about action and reaction. 100% Design will be presented in Las Palmas, Rotterdam.

Nomination Rotterdam Design Awards

Bling Bling has been nominated for the Rotterdam Design Awards. Exhibition in Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. (Museumpark 18-20, Rotterdam).

Droog Design in the Kunsthal

The Signature Vase project for Droog Design will be presented in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam. Presented vases: Mart’ GuixŽ, Marcel Wanders, The Bouroullec Brothers, Mendini, Andrea Branzi and Marc Newson.

Washington Post

The Washigton Post reviews the tiara project for princess Maxima. Frank Tjepkema won an honorable mention with his proposal. Click here to read the artikel.

Droog Design in Milano

Salone Del Mobile 2003, tjep will be presenting his Signature Vase project for Droog Design in Milano. La Galleria Postart, Via Giannone 10, Milano (Metro stop: Moscova).

Exhibition in Eindhoven

tjep will be presenting at the Week van het Ontwerp in de Witte Dame in Eindhoven (Netherlands). Visite VOE for more information. See our stand here.

Artificial Plant in Centraal Museum

Artificial Plant a Droog Design product is part of the exhibition 'Ideal ! Living' in the Centraal Museum in Utrecht.

Project for Uit markt

Collaboration project with Thonik for the Uit Markt in Amsterdam. See museum thing.

Design Addict

Overview of tjep bywww.designaddict.com

Website Update

Website has been updated with three new projects: fugitive thing, studio thing and buro thing. We also added new pictures to Franois Vatel thing.

Bling Bling in Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam buys Bling Bling for its permanent collection. Bling Bling is part of the Chi Ha Paura..? collection.

Rietveld Academy

Rietveld Design Lab graduation show opens on Thursday the 4th at 16:00 together with the presentation of the other departments. Frank Tjepkema became head of the department in Febuary 2002.

Via Milano

Bling Bling in Baby! Via Milano 02 - New Dutch Design. Open from 10:00 to 22:00. Keizersgracht 767, Amsterdam. Bling Bling is part of the Chi Ha Paura..? collection.

Fan Club

Presentation of a new project for Fashion Fugitives in Fanclub. Nieuwzijds Voorburgwal 262, Amsterdam. Opening: 4 th of June at 18:00. Project realised in collaboration with: Eddy Schennink (Hello), Marieke Schooneman (Hello).

Museum t'Kruithuis

Exhibition of the '21 Tiara's for Maxima' project in Den Bosch at Museum t' Kruithuis. Check out the pictures of this beautiful presentation by Alias, in the museum but also under the bridges of the city! (img.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Chi Ha Paura...?

BlingBling will be part of the exhibition A Sense of wonder at Chi Ha Paura...?, during the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Galleria Contemporanea, via Lomazzo 28, Milano.

333 Lecture Frank Tjepkema

Lecture in the auditorium of the Witte Dame (information Lady) in Eindhoven. Lecture is part of a squence of lectures organised by Het Vormgevingsoverleg in Eindhoven covering the fields of interior-, textile- and jewelery design. Discussion wil be lead by Marian Unger.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

BlingBling will be presented for the first time in public at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam during Dis Play, an exhibit on contemporary Dutch jewellery design. Bling Bling is part of the Chi Ha Paura...? collection.

Beurs van Berlage

Tiara thing will be exhibited at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam during the mariage of Maxima with Willem-Alexander. (For those who are thinking: "who the hell are Maxima and ...", these two youngsters are the future queen and king of the Netherlands.

Louvre

Do Break has been signaled at the Louvre in Paris. The Do Break is part of the Droog Design collection.

FvBKV

Frank Tjepkema obtains a grant from the Fonds van de Beeldende Kunsten, Vormgeving en Bouwkunst in Amsterdam.

New Studio!

tjep moves to it's brand newstudio on the Weesperzijde in Amsterdam. Don't forget to note our new address: Weesperzijde 80b / 1091 EJ Amsterdam / T 020 362 42 96

Gerrit Rietveld Academy

Lecture at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam at 10:00 o'clock. Subject: design and communication.

Levis Red Tab

Introduction of the Levis Red Tab Thing display concept in 500 shops worldwide. A Droog Design project for Levis Red Tab.

Villa Noailles

Droog Design a la villa Noailles Hyeres. Beautiful presentation in a modernistic house located in a small town in the south of France.

Teo Jacob

Do-create at Teo Jacob, Geneva Switzerland.

Kunst en Bedrijf

Opening Vatel project in The Hague. See method.

The appartment

Presentation: do the apartment, New-York. Do create is a collection of products designed according to the philosophy of do.

Bezalel

Lecture and workshop at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. Together with John Maatman, we had a week to develop challenging design concepts together with a group of 20 students.

Sandberg Instituut

Lecture at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam.

Bio Frank Tjepkema / Tjep. Frank Tjepkema (1970) grew up in Geneva, Brussels and New-York. After experiencing a variety of cultures during his youth he settled in the Netherlands in 1989 to study industrial design. He graduated Cum Laude from the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 1996. Frank Tjepkema's graduation project based on artificial nature drew immediate attention and was selected for the Droog Design collection. His relation with Droog led to even more notable projects like the Do Break in 2000, the award winning British Airways Executive Lounge at Heathrow in 2004 and the Chair of Textures presented during Art Basel Miami Beach 2006, a Droog project in collaboration with gallery Friedman Benda. After initially working for Philips Design, Frank set up his own design studio called Tjep. together with Janneke Hooymans in 2001. Frank Tjepkema's field of work has developed to include products, furniture, accessories (such as the famous Bling Bling medallion), interior design and interior architecture for a multitude of restaurants, such as the widely acclaimed Restaurant Fabbrica in Rotterdam and shops such as the recently opened Heineken flagship-store in the center of Amsterdam. Tjep? s work can be found in the world?s most influential galleries such as Moss in New-York (Bling Bling, Heartbreak...) all the way to the shelves of your refrigerator (Waater bottle). Frank has taught and lectured at various design academies in the Netherlands and abroad: Design Academy Eindhoven, the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam (head of department 2001/ 2004), Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico City, Iceland Academy of The Arts Reykjavik, The Acadia Summer Arts Program Maine USA. He has also lectured in a.o. Japan (Nagoya Design Center), Malaysia, Spain and Hungary. His work is part of several major design collections at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Museum?t Kruithuis in Den Bosch, Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg. Other significant exhibitions include Design Contre Design at the Grands Palais in Paris in 2007 and the Fragiles Collection presented in Miami in 2007 and Dubai in 2008. Work has also been presented during a multitude of exhibitions in Japan, United States, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden.... Coverage on Tjep. has been published in most leading design magazines and newspapers around the world such as Domus, Interni, Blueprint, Design Report, Frame, I.D. magazine, Abitare, Elle decoration, Icon, The New York Times, Items, Metropolis, Identity Matters, Washignton Post, +81, Sleazenation. Related fields of work also include being member of the board of the Premsela Foundation, being part of an examination commission at the Dutch Foundation for Art and Design and being juror for the Dutch Design Awards.