Eike König | WORDS II

Almost a decade ago, Eike König appeared on the cover of the very first issue of Posterzine®️. It was a fitting choice. At the time, his work stood out for its uncompromising typographic language, conceptual sharpness, and ability to speak to a global design audience without losing its sense of play. That debut issue set the tone for everything that followed, celebrating designers who use print not simply as a means of reproduction, but as a space for ideas to live, breathe, and challenge conventions.

Since then, König has continued to carve out a singular path that blurs the boundaries between art, design, teaching, and publishing. Known as the founder of the Berlin-based collective Hort, his practice often foregrounds words over images, using language as both subject and material. He has exhibited internationally, taught generations of young designers, and consistently resisted easy categorisation.

His new book, WORDS II, is a continuation of this exploration. It’s a publication that doesn’t just document finished work, it opens a window into the inner workings of a creative mind. The book combines text, essays, conversations and personal reflections to build a layered picture of König’s practice. There’s an essay by Louise Benson that frames his work critically, and a thoughtful dialogue with Dr. Felix Kossok and Aileen Treusch that adds theoretical context. Interspersed throughout are König’s own notes and stories, revealing how certain ideas were formed, questioned, and transformed over time.

Physically, the book is just as considered as its content. Bound in cloth with white foil and a photo sticker, it features two types of paper stocks across its 312 pages. The tactility is deliberate, an object that invites slow reading, holding, revisiting. In an era where most visual culture lives on screens, König reminds us that the book can be a site for depth and reflection.

What’s striking about WORDS II is its refusal to present a single, authoritative narrative. Instead, it acknowledges the messy, conversational, sometimes contradictory nature of creative work. König doesn’t mythologise his process. Instead, he reveals the scaffolding: the sketches, the half-formed thoughts, the discussions that shaped the work as much as any individual decision. For those who have followed his career over the years, it’s fascinating to see this level of transparency from a figure who has had such influence on contemporary graphic design.

Limited to 1,000 signed copies, the book occupies a space between collectible object and critical publication. It’s not just for fans of his work, but for anyone interested in understanding how ideas evolve in practice. In many ways, WORDS II mirrors König’s career, generous, rigorous, and unafraid to question itself.

You can explore or order the book via eikekonig.com.