from painting to graphic design

Born in 1960 in Lochem, the Netherlands, Irma Boom was the youngest of nine children. She attended the AKI Academy Art School to become a painter but that didn’t work out, as it was not what she envisioned. At school she was searching for another discipline and while wandering the school entered a class where a teacher was talking about books. The teacher, Abe Kuipers, recited poetry and texts from books he carried from Groningen to Enschede.

Irma Boom “Hommage à Kelly”, 2016. Designed as a tribute to one of her biggest inspirations, artist Ellsworth Kelly.

Irma Boom, Hommage à Kelly. A red page and a blue page
Hella Jongerius: Misfit, designed by Irma Boom. A pink vase-like shape on a white background

“Hella Jongerius: Misfit”, 2010. Book designed by Irma Boom.

SHV Think Book designed by Irma Boom. A head with a weird hairdcut on an orange background

SHV Think Book, 1996. Designed by Irma Boom.

Created with Sketch.

i compare my work to architecture. i don’t build villas, i build social housing. —irma boom

A fragment of De Rijp/Kunst op Kamers. Colored dots on a white background

A fragment of “De Rijp/Kunst op Kamers” book, 2008. Designed by Irma Boom and Cees Straus.

 

experimental book about stamps

During her B.F.A. in design Irma Boom interned at various prestigious offices including Studio Dumbar. Her work was often rejected as too experimental for firms accustomed to strict typographic conventions. At the same time her experimental books began attracting new interesting commissioners. In 1987–1988 Boom designed the official annual Dutch postage stamp books. She structured them in Japanese style binding and had text crossing multiple pages with printed folds and translucent paper. It was her first work where she also acted as image editor, which was unusual for the time. Boom received much hate mail, particularly from stamp collectors, who thought the books were controversial. However, such controversy brought her name onto the public stage and established her name as a designer.

World Wide Video Festival, book designed by Irma Boom. A red book cover with blue Japanese letters

A page of Aufwärts magazine, issue 16, 1954. Designed by Willy Fleckhaus.

“World Wide Video Festival”, 1999. Book designed by Irma Boom.

Color Based on Nature, book cover designed by Irma Boom
Color Based on Nature, book cover designed by Irma Boom

“Color Based on Nature”, 2012. Book designed by Irma Boom.

A fragment of De Rijp/Kunst op Kamers book, designed by Irma Boom and Cees Straus. A zen garden

A fragment of “De Rijp/Kunst op Kamers” book, 2008. Designed by Irma Boom and Cees Straus.

Project Japan: Metabolism Talks, book designed by Irma Boom

“Project Japan: Metabolism Talks”, 2011. Book designed by Irma Boom.

A fragment of De Rijp/Kunst op Kamers book, designed by Irma Boom and Cees Straus

A fragment of “De Rijp/Kunst op Kamers” book, 2008. Designed by Irma Boom and Cees Straus.

Created with Sketch.

the books are industrially made and they need to be made very well. it’s never art. never, never, never. —irma boom

Christian Brändle, Glenn Adamson, Verena Formanek, Every Thing Design, a book designed by Irma Book

Christian Brändle, Glenn Adamson, Verena Formanek “Every Thing Design: The Collections of the Museum of Design Zürich”, 2009. Book designed by Irma Boom.

 

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