The project

The book Böhnhase, which was Gijs Kast’s final project before graduating in 2008 from the Design Academy Eindhoven, seems like a practical joke that got out of hand. Kast came up with the idea for the booklet when he became engrossed in the ‘black economy’ in the Doornakkers neighbourhood in Eindhoven, where he lives.That gave him the idea of making a counterpart to the Yellow Pages business directory. Kast’s ‘Black Pages’ provide an excellent series of portraits of people living in the neighbourhood. Subsidy from the Fonds BKVB made it possible for him to publish Böhnhase on his own, in an edition of 1,200 copies.

Committee

The so-called disadvantaged district where he lived formed the inspiration for Gijs Huijgen’s graduation project at Design Academy Eindhoven. With his ‘underground’ Yellow Pages called Böhnhase, he portrays the people of the Doornakkers neighbourhood. In a cartoon-like style, he depicts how the residents moonlight to make some extra money.

— The drawings are not caricatures, although the style is reminiscent of comic strips.

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